The Point of No Return
by arygon199
Summary: Lucas doesn't call anyone to go to Vegas. Instead he decides to wait it out and let fate work its magic. Meanwhile, Peyton is left questioning her relationship with Lucas, while Brooke and Lucas grow even closer. Brucas, Jeyton, Pulian.
1. Waiting

**A/N: I was really skeptical about writing this story, only because I'm still working on Awakening and I've never really juggled two stories at once, but I've decided to go ahead with it. This is a continuation of the oneshot of the same name that I posted a few weeks ago. It was actually set ahead of where this story starts and gives away some of the stuff that's happened, so I ended up taking it off the site, just so I didn't end up spoiling everyone. If you've read it, then you already know a little bit of what's going to happen with Peyton. Brooke and Lucas' situation wasn't explained in it, though, so luckily everything that happens with them is going to be new to you all.**

**Basically, this is an alternate season 6 fic and is pretty much what I wished would have happened this season. It will be heavily Brucas, of course, but I'm going to be focusing a lot on Peyton in this story as well. In fact, she's going to be major part of this fic and eventually there will be a lot of Jeyton (Jake and Peyton) and Pulian (Peyton and Julian) included in here. I know a lot of you might be a little turned off by that, but don't worry, this fic is still primarily about Brooke and Lucas and will focus most on their journey of finding their way back to each other.**

**I also want to stay that this story is going to move at a slower pace than my other stories and Brucas are going to take a little while to get back together. I want it to be as realistic as possible and in order for that to happen, a lot of things need to be resolved, so please just bear with me because in the end, everything will be worth it. Also, updates for this story aren't going to be as frequent as with my other stories, at least for now. After I finish Awakening, then I'll start updating this one faster. **

**So, I'm gonna stop rambling now and let you get to the reading. I hope you enjoy and please remember to let me know what you think!!!**

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing. If I did, things on the show would be lot different. **_

* * *

_**The Point of No Return**_

**Waiting**

Lucas was tired. He was tired in so many ways, but most of all, he was tired of waiting. That was what brought him to this airport and what made him buy those two tickets to Las Vegas. That was what had him staring down at his phone at three particular names, trying to figure out which one to call. All he wanted was to settle down with the girl he loved and start a family. The only problem was that he had no idea who the girl was that he loved.

There was Lindsay. The girl he was going to marry, the girl he'd said 'I do' to. Everything had been so easy with them, so effortless, and he truly did love her. But he knew now that sometimes easy wasn't good. Sometimes it was; sometimes it meant that you were with a person that you were completely comfortable with, someone who you could confide in no matter what. But sometimes it wasn't a good thing because many times the effortlessness was a sign of settling. It was a sign that you went for the easy relationship instead of the one that took work and effort. He was starting to think the latter option fit him and Lindsay and that left him wondering if he and Lindsay were really meant to be.

Then there was Peyton. The obvious choice. The one that he was supposedly destined to be with. Once upon a time, he'd agreed with that and he'd even written about it in his book. After all, he and Peyton were epic, weren't they? He didn't think so anymore. He loved Peyton, he truly did, but people always pushed them together and he was tired of it. He didn't want to be with her just because everyone wanted them together. He wanted to be with her because that's what he simply _wanted_. But he didn't want that, not now at least.

He and Peyton only seemed to bring pain into other people's lives. Lindsay and Brooke were the prime examples of that. He knew that even though Lindsay had left him at the altar so that he could be with Peyton, it would still kill Lindsay to see them together. And he didn't want to do that to Lindsay; he didn't want to cause her anymore pain.

And then there was Brooke. He wasn't sure when she became an option again. He wasn't even sure if she _was_ an option, but still, he couldn't keep her out of his mind. He loved her. He wasn't necessarily sure if he loved her in the way that he loved her in high school, but he did love her; there was absolutely no doubt in that. He loved hanging out with her, talking with her and just being around her. He'd learned how much he missed that during the last few months when he helped her look after Angie. She was one person that he couldn't live without. Her friendship meant the world to him.

The last time he was in a relationship with her, though, it hadn't ended well. To this day, he was still at a loss at how they ended. It was sudden and he'd been so completely taken by surprise when she'd broken up with him that he hadn't gone after her. He'd fought for her briefly, but not hard enough and not long enough. He'd given up on her and there were plenty of times in his life that he really wished he hadn't. They could have been so great.

He doubted he'd be sitting here in this airport, trying to make the most important decision in his life, if he'd just fought harder for her.

He glared down at his phone, shaking his head in frustration. Then he finally lifted it up, pressing the number of an all too familiar name, and brought it up to his ear. When he heard her answer, he took a deep breath, eyes narrowing.

"Hey, it's me. Look, I'm at the airport and I've got two tickets to Las Vegas. Do you want to get married tonight?"

There was a short pause on the other line before he heard her let out a snort of laughter.

"Shut up, Lucas."

Lucas sighed, chuckling softly. "You know, I was joking about the last part, but I wasn't kidding about the first part."

"So you're at the airport? And you've got two tickets to Vegas?"

"Yup."

"So, who's the other ticket for?"

"I don't know." He took another long breath, not knowing exactly what to say. "I've been thinking a lot about what you and I talked about tonight. About not hiding my heart. And after you left, I guess I just snapped. I just couldn't wait anymore. I wanted to find the one I was going to spend the rest of my life with, so I bought a couple of tickets to Vegas, intending to make a final decision tonight and ask the girl I chose to marry me."

"Lucas." Haley's voice was stern, mixed with a tinge of disbelief. "Do you realize how stupid that sounds?"

It did sound kind of ridiculous now that he thought about it, but that's why he'd called his best friend first instead of calling one of the three girls on his mind. He needed to make sure he was doing the right thing and now it was clear that he wasn't.

"I know, Hales," he murmured tiredly.

"Seriously, Luke, when I told you to stop hiding your heart, I didn't mean to drop everything and make a decision tonight. I just meant that you needed to stop dancing around these girls and messing with everyone's hearts, including your own."

"I get that now…"

"You need to come home, Lucas," Haley continued. "You can't call anyone. It wouldn't be fair to any of them."

"I know." He sighed again. "I'm not going to. This whole thing was stupid. I should have never have come here tonight."

"Luke…" Haley sounded sympathetic now. "I know you're tired of waiting and I know that you want a family, but it will happen. You might have to give it some time, but it will. You can't just choose who you want to be with, though. We're only human and most of the time our decisions come back to haunt us. So just let everything work out on its own, okay? Don't rush anything and just let fate work its magic."

"That's harder than it sounds," Lucas said despondently.

"I know it is, but you've got to try. You can't risk making the wrong choice and hurting the girl that you strung along and, most of all, you can't risk settling."

"You're right, Haley, and I'm not going to."

"Good," Haley replied and he heard her sigh in obvious relief. "Now go return your tickets and then you get your butt over to my house and we'll have another one of our talks so I can continue to knock some sense into you."

He smiled softly. "I will. See you soon."

He hung up, the smile on his face faltering as he stood up from his chair. He was glad he'd called Haley. Who knew how much he could have screwed up his and someone else's life if he'd called one of the girls stuck in his mind, especially if it had been the wrong girl.

Picking up his single suitcase, he marched over to the ticket counter, hoping that he would be able to return his tickets and get back the money he had so foolishly spent in the first place.

**888**

Peyton was sitting at the River Court, brooding depressingly and thinking about Lucas, when her phone rang. She wanted to ignore it, but when she saw the name on the caller ID, she thought better of it. It was Mia and she probably had more news on the person who knew Ellie. Even though Peyton wasn't exactly in the mood to deal with this, she picked it up.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Peyt, it's Mia."

"Yeah, I know. Any news on the guy who said he knows Ellie?"

"He's nowhere in sight. I told him to come backstage after the concert, but it's been two hours and he's still not here. Sorry, Peyton."

Peyton just sighed. "It's okay, Mia. It's no big deal."

"Sure it is. I mean, this guy could've told you more about the mom you barely got a chance to know. He could've even been your—."

"Don't say it, Mia. I don't need to hear that he could've been my birth father. I already suspected he might be anyway. But that's what my parents do, they leave…People leave, it happens. I'm used to it."

"Are you okay?" Mia seemed confused and Peyton couldn't blame her. She didn't mean to come off this way, but she was tired and annoyed and she just wanted Lucas to stop being an idiot and realize he was still in love with her. It was taking him way too long, but as book smart as he was, he'd always been a bit slow when it came to anything that revolved around his love life.

"I'm fine. Listen, I've got to go. I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Sure…"

She didn't wait for Mia to say anything else; she just hung up. She looked down at the phone, severely tempted to just chuck it out in the water to vent her endless frustration, but decided against it. It was too expensive to break and money didn't exactly grow on trees for her, not like it did for Brooke.

She didn't even want to think about this Ellie situation. Mia had described the guy that had talked to her before her show. He'd been older, a musician apparently, but handsome in that old rocker sort of way. Just how Ellie had once described him. But she was past caring about that right now. Honestly, she didn't need the added drama of her birth father walking into her life. He'd probably just die anyway. That seemed to happen to all her parents.

Peyton had Lucas to worry about now and that was enough. She looked down at her drawing that covered the court. She'd put so much effort into it. Had he seen it? He should have, considering the fact that he came here all the time. But he hadn't called her and she hadn't heard from anyone that he'd mentioned it. He might not have come tonight, but in the back of her mind she knew he did. He came and apparently he still didn't care.

Waiting around for him was getting really tiring. She was beginning to wonder if he would ever even come around. He and Lindsay had been done for a couple of months and still he showed absolutely no romantic interest in her whatsoever. Maybe she was being too pushy. Maybe she just needed to back off and give him some time. But she didn't know if she could do that because backing off meant she had to wait for him and she didn't want to wait for him anymore. She was tired of waiting.

She let out an angry groan, her fingers clenching down on her phone. She didn't know how much longer she could do this. Was he even worth it anymore?

Of course he was. He was Lucas Scott and she was Peyton Sawyer. True love always. They were meant to be, weren't they?

She really didn't know anymore and that scared her. It scared her more than anything.

Lucas was her safety net. She felt completely at ease with him. He was the only guy that completely understood her. There was no one else like that out there and so he _had _to be the guy she was going to spend the rest of her life with.

Letting out a long sigh, Peyton finally stood up. She was just going to have to wait it out, then. Lucas would figure it out soon. He'd realize that she was the girl for him. He had to.

But as she walked back to her car, one question lingered in her mind—what if he didn't? She quickly tossed that idea aside. She needed to be positive. She just needed to wait. It was only a matter of time and then they'd all be happy again.

**888**

Brooke's eyes were on the phone, willing for it to ring. She was waiting on news of Angie's arrival back home. It was getting late, but Brooke couldn't sleep without knowing if Angie was safe and in the arms of her parents.

Her eyes fluttered over to a picture on her fridge. It was of her, Lucas, and Angie and for a moment she forgot that Angie wasn't with her anymore. For just a small moment, she was with Lucas and Angie, happy and safe. A little family of their own— the perfect family.

And then her phone rang and she picked it up right away.

"Hello?" she answered anxiously.

"Brooke, I'm surprised you answered."

She held back a groan and wished that she'd taken an extra second to look at the caller ID. She really wasn't in the mood to talk to her mother right now.

"What do you want?" she asked irritably.

"We need to talk."

"You know what? I cannot do this right now."

"And why not?" came her mother's disapproving voice.

"Because I'm waiting on another call."

"Who?"

"That is none of your business. As a matter of fact, none of my actual business is any of your business because I fired you.

"Brooke, I am your _mother_—."

"No, you _were _my mother. I fired you from that too that job too. Listen—." The doorbell rang and she silently thanked God for the distraction. Walking over to the door, she spoke again. "Look, I have to go. Someone is at the door. And don't bother calling me back, just talk to my lawyer. I have nothing left to say to you." She hung up, glaring at phone. "Bitch."

But when she opened the door, she was not exactly thrilled at the sight in front of her.

"Well," Victoria said, sneering at her, "I have a few things to say to you."

She watched in shock as her mother strode past her, as if she owned the place. Then her senses finally came to her and she clenched her teeth, throwing up her hands in frustration. She wasn't going to take this. There was no way Victoria Davis could come in here and walk all over her.

"Unbelievable!"

Victoria interrupted her. "I can't understand why you've become such a hurtful, spiteful little snot to me, but it is what it is. I can take it. Our company, however, cannot."

This really was just unbelievable. Her mother had some nerve. "_Our _company? I'm sorry, I believe it's _my _company because _you _were fired. And I do not recall inviting you in, you botoxed vampiress."

Victoria wasn't moved. "See, this is what I'm talking about. You're such a child, and a fairly stupid one at that. It doesn't matter that you fired me. I'm your legal partner, missy."

"It's _my _company. I'm the designer."

"No, it's _our _company. 50/50. At least it is for now."

Brooke's eyes narrowed. "And what is that supposed to mean?"

"Designers come and go," Victoria said haughtily. "It's the brand that matters and I grow the brand and the board knows that and they can fire you."

Brooke stared at her in disbelief. Her mother really was an idiot. "So what, you're gonna have a magazine called B. Davis without _B. Davis_?"

"Paul Frank doesn't work for Paul Frank. Happens all the time."

"Really? And what are you gonna sell, mother? Magic beans? Without my designs, you have nothing. I know it, you know it, and as soon as the board sees my unbelievable new line, they'll know it, and _you'll _be the one out on your nip-tucked ass."

"We'll see about that."

Brooke was officially done. She couldn't take this for one more second. "Get out of my house."

Victoria just shrugged, moving briskly past her. Brooke watched her stop at the door.

"I hope this new line is by far the best work you've ever done or it's goodbye company, hello community college. _If_ you can get in."

Then Victoria turned back around and a second later she was finally gone. Brooke just stood there, reeling in anger. This was getting ridiculous. Her mother wasn't leaving her alone and she wasn't sure she could take it much longer.

Brooke was confident that as long as she had her designs, she'd be okay. She was also sure that her line was in fact the best it had ever been, but Victoria's threats still made her uneasy. There was always the small chance that Victoria could somehow convince the board that the designs were horrible and that they needed a better designer, but the chance was small and Brooke wasn't extremely worried.

This conversation had drained her, though. She sat back at her counter, staring down at her phone. She needed something to distract her from the anger her mother always brought out in her. And a few seconds later, as if by some miracle, her phone rang.

A sigh of relief left her lips as the woman from the adoption agency told her that Angie was okay and was safely reunited with her parents. The plane ride had gone well and Angie looked happier than ever. Then, after another thank you, the conversation was over and with that came the official end of her and Angie. She'd most likely never see the little girl she'd grown to love again. The thought brought tears to her eyes.

She was so tired of being alone. Sure, she wasn't _really _alone—she had her friends—but lately everyone had been so involved with their own lives, including herself, that they never hung out much anymore.

Haley had school and Nathan had basketball and they both had their own little family to take care of. Peyton had her label and chasing after Lucas to worry about. Mouth and Millicent had just moved to Omaha only a few hours ago. And Brooke had spent a lot of time with Lucas, yes, but the baby that had brought them together was gone now and she wondered if their friendship would remain as strong as it had grown to be these last few months. He wasn't here right now, after all, and neither were Peyton or Haley and Nathan. She was all by herself. Nothing new there.

But it didn't matter that she was used to being alone because she needed them. She needed Lucas and Peyton. She needed Nathan and Haley and Mouth and Millie. She needed them now more than ever.

The funny thing was that she knew that any of them would be here in a second if she just called and asked them to come over, but for some reason she couldn't bring herself to do it. They were all busy with their own lives and she was just too stubborn to bother them. She was also too stubborn to just swallow her pride and be a little vulnerable for once. To admit that she was tired and lonely and just wanted to spend some time with the people she loved. But they had their own issues to deal with. And she…well, she had her company.

It was all she had now.


	2. Distractions

**Distractions**

Brooke woke up early after already getting a heavy lack of sleep. Her mind kept wandering from Angie to her mother's constant threats of stealing her company and between that, there really wasn't much time for her to just relax and let sleep come to her.

She arrived at her store just in time to open. For a moment she expected to see Millicent greet her at the door, but then she remembered that she and Mouth were long gone by now. That thought made her heart even heavier.

Sighing heavily, Brooke dropped her bag onto the counter. She really needed to hire some more people now that Millicent was gone. Peyton helped out every so often, but she had her own label to run and it wasn't fair to rely on her. Haley always offered to help as well, but she had a hectic enough life as it was and Brooke didn't want to bother her anymore than she already did. For now, Brooke decided, she was fine on her own.

The morning went by slowly. Not many people came in, but that was typical for a Wednesday morning. Normally, this didn't bother her, but today she was dying for any sort of distraction she could get. She couldn't stop thinking about Angie and how much she longed to hold the little girl in her arms once again. The memories of her were bittersweet and she wasn't sure how much alone time in her head she could handle.

That was why she was completely thrilled when Lucas entered the store at around noon.

"Luke!" she cried excitedly, throwing her arms around him as she greeted him at the door.

He looked down at her in amused surprise. "Hey, Brooke. What's up?"

She pulled away, heaving a very dramatic sigh. "Oh, I'm just incredibly bored, but now you're here, so I'm good."

"Not too busy today, then?" he said, following her over to the cash register.

She sat on the counter. "Nope, unfortunately."

"Unfortunately?" he asked, jumping up to sit next to her. "I'd think it would be nice to have a relaxing morning, especially since you're low on workers."

"Yeah, well, let's just say I'm looking for a distraction from…other things."

He put a comforting hand on her leg. "Thinking about Angie?"

She nodded. "I just can't believe I'm never going to see her again, you know?"

"It's tough," he said slowly. "I don't know how you did it, Brooke. Taking care of her during one of the most vital times of her life, treating her like your own child, only to have to give her back a few months later. I wasn't even with her all the time and it still kills me that I'm never going to hold her again. I can't even imagine how _you_ feel since you spent almost every waking moment with her."

"It pretty much sucks."

"It must," Lucas agreed. He turned to look at her, eyes narrowed in that broody way of his. "Do you think you could ever do it again, knowing you had to give the child back and would probably never see them again?"

"I don't know," Brooke answered honestly. "I really don't know if I could handle it."

"Yeah…" he murmured. "Are you going to try to adopt again?"

"I'm not sure. I feel like I need to get this Victoria situation dealt with before I look into it anymore. She's pretty much using anything she can against me and I wouldn't put it past her to continue to ruin my reputation in the adoption agency's eyes."

"She wouldn't do that, would she?" He looked revolted at the idea, but he didn't know her mother like she did.

"Like I said, I wouldn't put it past her. I mean, she came to my house last night, basically threatening that she could take Clothes Over Bros away from me. She's so convinced that she's still a part of the company, even though I fired her."

Lucas chuckled. "Your mom…well, she's always been sort of crazy."

"Crazy is an understatement," Brooke said with a laugh.

"So Victoria's back in town, huh?"

"Yup," Brooke said, obvious frustration in her voice. "She was just another part of my sucky day yesterday."

"I'm sorry." Brooke turned to look at him. He was staring at her intently and sincerely and she found herself wondering how she could have ever felt so alone last night, not when she had this great man sitting next to her in her life.

"Thanks," she said quietly.

"I was going to come over last night and check up on you, but I got caught up…" He trailed off and there was something in his voice that made her immediately curious.

"Caught up?"

He chuckled lightly to himself. "Let's just say I was about to do something incredibly stupid."

"Like what?"

"Uh, well…" He seemed hesitant to go into the details, especially judging by the blush creeping up on his cheeks. He obviously was embarrassed about whatever it was.

"Did it have to do with Peyton?" she pushed.

"No…well, a little. I don't know…"

She stared at him in amusement. "Do you want me to drop this subject, Luke?"

"I really do," he said with a cute grin.

"Okay, I will, but only because it looks like whatever went on is a sensitive subject, especially if it has something to do with Peyton."

He sent her a grateful smile before falling into silence. They sat there for a few moments, lost in their own thoughts. For once she wasn't thinking about Angie or Victoria. Instead she was trying to figure out whatever it was that bothering Lucas. If it had to do with Peyton, then it was obviously complicated, but he'd also said that he'd been about to do something stupid. Was he going to tell Peyton that he wanted to get back together? It seemed like a possibility, but that wasn't _stupid _was it? Peyton and Lucas made sense. At least that's what Brooke had to constantly tell herself; otherwise she'd go completely insane thinking of what might have been between herself and Lucas…

But sometimes it seemed like Lucas was completely over Peyton. He'd done nothing to indicate that he wanted a relationship with her since that night at Tric when Peyton told Brooke they'd kissed. Since then, though, he'd steered clear from Peyton.

She was so tempted to continue pestering him further, but she kept to her earlier statement and decided to keep the subject dropped.

"You know," Lucas broke the silence, "if you ever need help around here, I'm available."

"Really?"

"Yeah." His eyes stared deep into hers. "I'm here for you, Brooke."

She couldn't look away from him; she was completely lost in his eyes. Her hand moved of its own accord to sit on top of his.

"Thank you," she murmured.

He just nodded, his hand moving slightly so that his fingers could intertwine with hers. She was about to speak again when the door slammed open. Their eye contact was finally broken as Victoria strode in the room.

"Sorry to interrupt what looked to be a very heartfelt moment, but, Brooke, we need to talk."

"This is getting completely ridiculous," Brooke said, jumping off the counter. She heard Lucas jump off behind her, moving to stand right next to her. "I said all I needed to say last night. You need to leave, Victoria."

"I _am _leaving, as a matter of fact," Victoria said. "I have a flight back to New York that leaves in two hours, but you and I need to talk one last time before I go. Now, before you say no, I should really tell you that you don't have a choice."

"Actually I do because for what seems to be the five billionth time, I fired you. You can no longer boss me around."

Victoria wasn't quick to give up. "Give me a few minutes; that's all I'm asking for."

"What exactly do you want, Victoria?" Brooke asked resignedly. She leaned against the counter, crossing her arms. Lucas' presence next to her gave her a feeling of comfort and she was suddenly very glad he was here with her.

Victoria didn't feel the same about Lucas, however. She sent him an annoyed glare, frowning at the sight of him. "Can you leave us alone?"

"_Victoria—._" Brooke immediately protested.

"No," Lucas interrupted, "it's fine. I'll just go into the backroom for a few minutes."

Brooke glared at her mother in annoyance as Lucas disappeared into the back.

"You let him go into the back, Brooke?" Victoria said disapprovingly. "The backroom should be for employees only."

"Lucas can go back there," Brooke said, rubbing her temples tiredly.

"It's good to know that my daughter let's just about anyone into her backroom, where clothes and where your sketchesare stored. Way to keep your shop safe and secure, Brooke."

"Lucas isn't just _anyone_," Brooke said with a roll of her eyes. "Now can we get off this subject and move on to whatever you came here to talk about because you're giving me a headache."

"I want to see your designs for the new line."

Brooke couldn't help it; she laughed. "Excuse me?"

"I said I want to see the new designs."

"Um, how about no."

Victoria stared at her arrogantly. "Why don't you want me to see them? Are you worried that they're horrible? Are you worried that the board won't like them and they'll want to move on to bigger and better designers?"

"Actually, no," Brooke said, "I just don't think you need to see them. After all, you don't work for me anymore."

Victoria was glaring dangerously at her now. "_Brooke_."

"Why do you want to see them, anyway? What use could they be to you?"

"I want to see what the board has to work with," Victoria said simply.

"In other words, you're dying to see if they're bad enough for you to convince the board to get rid of me. You really don't want me to succeed, do you, Victoria?"

"I just want what's best for the company," Victoria answered stiffly. It seemed like her mother was always saying this and Brooke's reply was always the same.

"No, you want what's best for _you_. You know what? You should just leave because you're wasting your time here. You're not going to get to see the designs."

Victoria stared indignantly at her, a deep frown etched upon her lips. "Is that your final answer?"

"Yes," Brooke said firmly.

"Fine." Victoria turned around, moved swiftly towards the door and stalked outside without a backward glance. Brooke was surprised she gave up so easily.

"Are you okay?"

Lucas was next to her in a second, looking at her in concern.

"I'm fine," Brooke said, waving her hand airily as she moved back over to the counter. "It's just typical behavior from Bitchtoria. Nothing new."

"I'm sorry you have to deal with her."

"It's okay," she shrugged. "I'm used to it."

She started digging in the drawers underneath the counter, looking for what Victoria wanted so desperately to see. Finally finding them, she pulled her sketches of the new line out.

"She's never going to get her hands on these," Brooke said, more to herself than anyone, but Lucas listened intently nonetheless. "She's never going to touch anything that has to do with Clothes Over Bros ever again."

Lucas' hand was on her shoulder, seeping the comfort she needed. She just continued staring down at her designs, knowing that there was no way the board wouldn't like them. She was confident in that.

"Brooke, was that your mom I saw outside?"

Brooke tore her eyes from her designs to find Peyton standing at the door. Her best friend froze up at the sight of Lucas.

"Hey, Luke…"

"Peyton," he said, smiling politely. "How's it going?"

"Good."

He shifted around awkwardly. "That's good." Brooke watched as Lucas looked down at his shoes. Peyton, on the other hand, was looking at him with pure and obvious desire in her eyes. It was no wonder the poor guy felt so uncomfortable.

"Brooke," he said after a few moments of silence, "I'm gonna get going. Call me if you need anything."

"I will. Thanks, Lucas."

He smiled and she was surprised to feel his arms wrap around her in a brief hug. "No problem," he said as he pulled away. He walked past Peyton, saying a polite goodbye, and then he was gone.

"He's getting really frustrating," Peyton said, moving over to stand next to Brooke behind the counter. Brooke resumed looking down at her sketches. After the incident with her mother, she really wasn't in the mood to deal with the all the Leyton drama.

"Hmm…"

"I mean, he's all comfortable around you—you guys are practically best friends— but he can barely stay in the same room as me for two minutes."

"Maybe that's because I don't look like I want to jump him," Brooke murmured absentmindedly.

Peyton sent her a look that clearly told her that she didn't appreciate the comment. "Really, though, I thought that after our talk last night, everything was okay between us."

"Your drawing on the Rivercourt might have freaked him out, though."

"Do you think that's what it was?" Peyton asked curiously. "I thought he would appreciate it."

"Well, you know Lucas never appreciated people drawing graffiti all over his court."

"It's not graffiti, it's _art_," Peyton said incredulously. "And you're really not being helpful, Brooke."

Brooke sighed, finally looking at Peyton. "I'm sorry, it's just that I'm not exactly having the greatest day and I'm really not in the advice giving mood."

Peyton's face changed from annoyed to concerned. "What happened, Brooke? Are you missing Angie? Is it your mom? What did she do this time?"

Brooke just shrugged. "It's a combination of both, I guess. I'm missing Angie, of course, but Victoria keeps bugging me about the company. She's going on and on about how Clothes Over Bros doesn't actually need me and how she could get the board to fire me."

"But you're the creator of the whole company," Peyton said, outraged. "They can't have the company without you."

"Not according to my mother."

Peyton shook her head, eyes narrowing in disgust. "Your mom's a bitch, Brooke."

"Yup."

"Well," Peyton said, putting a hand on Brooke's shoulder, "if you need anything, let me know. Whether you want to rant about your bitch of a mother or need a shoulder to cry on because you're missing Angie, I'm here."

"Thanks, Peyton," Brooke said, smiling softly at her. Peyton pulled her into a hug and once again, Brooke realized that she really wasn't alone. Her friends would do anything for her, just like she would for them, and that meant everything to her.

"And, Peyton," Brooke said, looking at her best friend seriously, "if you and Lucas are meant to be, everything will work out. You've just got to wait it out and make sure not to force anything on him. Like the drawing…it's beautiful, but it _might _have been a bit much for him right now."

Peyton looked at her uncertainly. "You think?"

Brooke just nodded apologetically.

**888**

This was just too much. It was one thing for her to constantly declare her love to him in person, but to _draw _it all over his court… he really wasn't too happy about that. It was romantic, yes, and Lucas supposed that in some ways he did appreciate it—Peyton truly was showing an act of loyalty to him—but it was hard when he didn't feel the same way. It was a constant reminder of the uncertainty of his and Peyton's relationship. He wanted to simply be her friend, but she wanted much more than that, and it was hard to act normal around a girl who drew about her love for him all over a public basketball court.

He'd never have the heart to tell this to Peyton, though. She put a lot of effort into it, that was incredibly obvious, and he truly was impressed by it, but it was still too much for him. He knew how she felt about him; she couldn't make that more clear.

He was pretty sure how he felt about Peyton, too. He wasn't in love with her. Not anymore. He did love her like a friend, but that was all. Whenever he thought back to his and Peyton's relationship, the one thing he valued most was their friendship. They could sit for hours in his bedroom and listen to music and just talk. It was so easy and it was great. They were always great as friends.

And when they got together, there was a new aspect of their relationship—one they'd experienced before, but only briefly—and that was the freedom to touch each other in ways that friends definitely didn't. It had been exciting and new at first, but the spark in their sexual relationship had died over the years, not that it was even that strong in the first place.

He never made this a major factor in their relationship, but he realized that being with her in that sexual way wasn't something that he needed with her. He could just hang out with her and talk about crazy stuff and listen to music. He didn't need the sex or the kissing or the touching. He'd desired it at one time from her, but as their time as a couple went by, he desired it less and less and, years later, when he actually went back and thought about it, he realized just how much better they worked as friends than as lovers.

And that's why he didn't want to go back to her—simply because he liked being her close friend, even one of her best friends. He didn't need anything more than that.

That was one of the reasons that he and Peyton differed so much from his and Brooke's relationship. He didn't often think about his relationship with Brooke anymore, mostly because it brought back too many questions of what if, but when he did think about it, it always brought a smile to his face.

He and Brooke had always had such an undeniable attraction to each other, in both a physical way and a personal way. Being with her was unlike anything he had ever experienced. There was such a spark and such a chemistry between them that, to this day, was still there.

It wasn't just the physical aspect of them, either. He let Brooke in to his heart, even if she claimed that he was resisting her. He told her things he'd never told anyone else. And just like he could do with Peyton, they could sit and talk for hours about anything and everything, serious or not. He and Brooke had been so incredibly close once—closer than even him and Peyton he'd dare to say—and lately it seemed as if they were moving closer and closer to regaining the great friendship they once had.

In the back of his mind, Lucas would sometimes wish that they could have more than the friendship they had now, that he could touch her again in the way he used to, but he knew that she didn't want him in that way anymore. It had been so long since they were together and she had moved on long ago. So had he, he supposed, but he couldn't help but wonder if he'd settled for other girls because he couldn't have Brooke. And you can't move on if you're settling…

He didn't want to ruin their friendship either. He loved being around her and he wasn't sure what he would do without her in his life. There was no way he would risk losing her again.

Lucas looked out over the water, sighing in aggravation. Why was he even thinking about Brooke like that again? It was no use dwelling on the past or comparing his and Brooke's relationship to his and Peyton's. It wasn't like Brooke was an option to him anymore. His subconscious told him otherwise, though, especially considering that he was so very tempted to call her last night.

He stood up, reaching for the basketball that sat next to him on the bench. He hadn't come here to brood over his relationship troubles; he'd come to escape them. But with Peyton's drawings so obviously painted all over the court, that was virtually impossible. Jumping off the benches and onto the art streaked court, Lucas took one last look at Peyton's declaration of love, before heading to his car.

**888**

Settling herself comfortably on the small couch in her office, Peyton lifted the heavy bottle up towards her lips, carelessly pouring the liquid down her mouth. It burned her throat, but she didn't care; she needed the distraction.

She couldn't understand Lucas anymore. He was confusing her more than he ever had. And it wasn't because he was sending her mixed signals, but rather because he was sending a very clear signal—he didn't want to be with her again. The problem was that she just couldn't accept this.

He could still be confused about Lindsay, Peyton would understand that, but it had been _months_ and Lucas honestly didn't seem hung up on his ex-fiancée anymore. So then when would Lucas finally realize that it was Peyton he was meant to be with? That was a question she asked herself everyday now.

There was a knock on the door and Peyton just squeaked out a half-hearted 'come in' before taking another swig of her drink, not even bothering to look back to see her visitor.

"Uh..hi."

Peyton didn't recognize the voice right off, but a second later it clicked.

"What are _you _doing here?" Peyton asked, sitting up on the couch to glare at the brawny bartender who was standing awkwardly at the door.

"I was hoping to talk to you," Owen said quietly.

"Why would you want to talk to _me_? You and I have no business whatsoever, except maybe the fact that you treated my best friend like crap."

Owen looked incredibly guilty and she was glad for that. He hurt Brooke and therefore that made him the enemy.

"How is Brooke, anyway?"

"Why do you even care?" Peyton spat out. She fell back on the couch, this time taking a very long sip from the bottle.

"Because contrary to your belief, I do care about her."

"You've done a great job showing it." She looked back at him, sending him an aggravated glare. "When did you get back, anyway?"

"A couple of days ago," he answered. He walked over to her, looking down at Peyton seriously. "Look, Peyton, I know I screwed up with Brooke and I didn't come here intending to ask you for help getting her back or something like that. Honestly, I think I know by now that I don't have a chance with her. I only came here to see how she's doing. I would go see her myself, but we all know how she'd react."

"She'd probably throw something at you," Peyton said, nodding. Then she looked back at him, softening up a little. "She's fine, Owen."

"And she's enjoying being a mom?"

"She _was_, but Angie was sort of temporary. Brooke had to watch her while she waited for heart surgery and then she was sent back to her parents."

Owen was clearly surprised. "Huh…"

"Feel like an idiot?"

He chuckled. "Pretty much, yeah…"

"Well, that's because you are."

"I agree." His eyes trailed down to the bottle in her hands. "Care to share?"

Peyton wasn't really in the mood to sit here and drown her sorrows with Owen, but he was proving to be a worthy distraction from Lucas, so she said yes, telling him to grab a couple of glasses off of the shelf by her desk.

He brought along two whisky glasses, handing one to her. Pouring them both a drink, they both took long sips, downing the glasses completely. A heavy sigh left his mouth as he held out his glass for her to fill again.

"To our horrible love lives," Peyton said.

Their glasses clinked and Owen nodded. "To our horrible love lives."

**888**

It was dark outside now and Brooke wanted so desperately to get home and jump in to bed to sleep the night away, but she needed to finish counting the money before she could go home. She was more than tired; today had been absolutely exhausting and she was definitely going to take Lucas up on his offer of helping out at the store.

The sound of her cell phone ringing distracted her from the hundred dollar bill she was sorting into the appropriate column and she looked around for sight of it. Then she remembered that she'd left her phone in her office, so she headed into the backroom.

By the time she reached it, the person on the other line had hung up. She smiled as she realized who had called her—Lucas. Her phone beeped a second later, signaling that he had left a message. She lifted the phone to her ear, hearing his familiar voice.

"Hey, Brooke, it's me. I just wanted to see how things were doing. I hope you're home by now because you've been working like crazy lately. You need a break…Anyway, like I said earlier, I'm here if you need anything… Alright I'm gonna go attempt to make some dinner. I'll talk to you later…"

She was unable to keep the smile off her face as she listened to him speak. He was an amazing guy, he really was. She loved him like crazy, too— as a friend of course, but she truly didn't know what she would do without him in her life. She was about to call him back and let him know that she was heading home, when she heard a bang coming from the front of the store.

She froze, fear slowly creeping up into her. Had she locked the front door? She thought she had, but she wasn't completely sure. Creeping quietly out of the room, she poked her head through the door. She didn't see anything.

She walked forward slowly, her eyes wandering around the dark room for sight of anything. Then she realized that she'd never turned the lights off and yet there she was, standing in the dark. Her eyes widened.

And then she saw a figure dressed in black pop up behind the counter and it was as if her heart had stopped. A hand flew up to her mouth, and she back up slowly, trying to escape without notice.

But it was too late.

The man looked up from his position and even though she could barely see him, it was obvious that he was looking straight at her. A cry escaped her lips as she flew backwards, trying to make it to the backroom, but he was too fast. She screeched when his hand grasped tightly onto her arm.

He was holding something in his other hand as he stared down at her, but she couldn't see what it was. She couldn't see anything but his cold gray eyes as he looked down at her and they were the most menacing eyes she'd ever seen.

Before she could do or say anything, he pounced on top of her, pushing her to roughly to the ground. Her face hit the hard floor and she winced in pain as she felt him land on top of her. His hands went around throat and she struggled to breath. Then he lifted her up, only to throw her back down again. The air was knocked out of her and she was gasping for breath. He was on top of her again. His fingers were holding her arms so tightly that she could already feel the bruises forming.

"Please," she managed to get out.

Then an overwhelming amount of fear poured over her. He was looking down at her and even though she couldn't see his lips, she could tell he was smiling. She knew what he was going to do.

He held her arms down with his hands as he bent over her. There was nothing she could do now except wait. He was too strong for her. She felt blood dripping down her lips, adding to her fear. She wondered if dying would be better than what he was going to do to her and she almost wished he'd kill her instead.

But then, as if by some sort of miracle, he stood up. His foot slammed onto her stomach and she let out another gasp, clutching her stomach tightly. Then he let out what she could only describe as a laugh before whipping around and running out of the door.

She laid there, completely in shock. She didn't speak, she didn't yell, she didn't even cry. She was completely motionless. She could barely comprehend what had just happened.

Then her eyes closed and a single tear rolled down her cheeks before everything went black.

* * *

**A/N: **And there was chapter two. It's a lot different than what I normally write, but it was very easy to write at the same time. I came up with all this in like two hours, actually. So as you can already see, there are going to be similarities to the actual season 6 in here—Brooke's attack for instance. And the Owen/Peyton situation is obviously similar to the Owen/Millicent situation (hint, hint). But all these things will be handled differently than they were handled on the show. For instance, Lucas might just actually acknowledge the fact that Brooke was attacked :D.

Please let me know what you all think and thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter! Your reviews were very encouraging and motivated me to write this up faster than I originally planned.

**Lena: **I thought you'd be one of those people who wouldn't be too thrilled about Peyton's storyline, but I'm glad you're still going to read this! I know that in time you will be happy you continued reading, despite Peyton's part in the story. This is a Brucas fic all the way, I promise :D. The Jeyton and Pulian will not be nearly as big a focal point as Brucas will be. Anyway, thanks so much for reviewing!


	3. Numb

**Numb**

For some reason, Lucas couldn't fall back asleep. It was six-thirty in the morning and he didn't need to be up for hours, but something was keeping him from falling back into the peaceful slumber that he'd been abruptly woken from a little while before. He laid there for an hour, staring at the ceiling. It was no use, though; sleep was not coming back to him.

He lifted himself off his bed, treading tiredly towards his desk. Slipping on a sweatshirt, he sat down and turned on his computer. Light was starting to pour through the window, but it was still fairly dark outside. He hadn't been up this early in a long time.

He winced at the bright light radiating from the computer screen and opened up his email to find a new message from Lindsay. He glanced over it quickly. It turned out that Lindsay wanted him to come to New York soon to discuss The Comet. Normally, Lucas was not incredibly fond of his trips to New York, especially now that things were so awkward between him and Lindsay, but today he found that he was actually relieved at the thought of getting away from Tree Hill for a little while. It would be nice to not have to deal with all the Peyton drama for a couple of days.

Thinking of Peyton led to him thinking of Brooke, which then caused him to look over at where his cell phone rested on the side table next to his bed. He stretched over to grab it, hoping to find that she called him back last night. Unfortunately, though, he was met with only the picture of him and Jamie that he kept as a screensaver.

His eyes narrowed in confusion. He'd called Brooke last night at around eight and left her a message. She hadn't called back since then and, even though he hadn't asked her to call back in his message, Brooke always called him back anyway.

He didn't know if he should be worrying. There were many reasons that she couldn't have called him back. Still, there was something in his mind that told him something was off and so, although it was still very early, he decided to call her again.

The phone rang and rang, but, like last night, he got no answer. He brought the phone down to his lap, staring at it blankly. Something wasn't right. He could've been overreacting, but somehow he just knew something was up.

Standing up from his desk and pulling on a pair of jeans, he grabbed his keys and headed outside to his car. He drove to Brooke's house in complete silence, no radio on like he normally would. He only focused on the road, illuminated by the rising sun, and hoped that he was just being paranoid and everything was okay.

His anxiety grew as he saw that her car wasn't in the driveway when he got there. If her car wasn't there, then that meant she most likely wasn't there either. He strode up to the front door, too anxious to knock. If she wasn't home, there was no point in knocking anyway. He twisted the doorknob, but it was locked. He wasn't surprised; Tree Hill wasn't the safe town it used to be.

He had no choice but to knock and so he did. He waited impatiently at the door for a few minutes, but after getting no answer, he was forced to knock again. Still there was no answer. He rang the doorbell anxiously. A few minutes later and there was no sign of Brooke. By now, it was painfully clear that she wasn't home.

He pulled out his phone again, pressing in Brooke's number. Once again, there was no answer. Not knowing what else to do, he walked around the house, looking for any unlocked windows or doors, but found none. The whole house was securely locked up.

Completely frustrated and more anxious than ever, he sat down on the porch. He looked back over at the driveway. Peyton's Comet was nowhere in sight. Maybe she was with Brooke. Feeling suddenly hopeful, he punched in her number and hoped that Peyton could give him some answers.

**888**

Her eyes sprung open at the sound of her way too loud phone off in the distance. Looking groggily around the room, Peyton's eyes landed on the couch, where her phone sat ringing obnoxiously. She was going to ignore it, but when she recognized the familiar ring tone she'd set for Lucas, she eagerly stood up, rushing over to the couch.

She was in such a hurry to answer the phone that she could barely register the figure who she's stepped over to reach the couch in time.

"Hello?"

"Peyton, it's Lucas."

"I know." She held back a yawn as she fell onto the couch. She glanced out the window to find that the sun was just rising above the horizon. Why was he calling her so early? "What's up?"

"Is Brooke with you?"

"No, I'm at the studio," she answered, confused. "Is she not home?"

"Her car's not here, so I'm assuming she's not. I tried to go inside, but the door is locked."

"There's a spare key hidden under the flower pot with the lilies," Peyton said, thinking quickly. Lucas sounded worried and that made Peyton worry as well.

"Found it," she heard him mutter. "I'm going to check inside, but I really don't think she's here."

"Keep me on the line, Luke. I want to know if she's okay."

Peyton stood up now, pacing around the office. The man on the floor sat up, looking at her curiously.

"What's wrong?"

Peyton shushed him with a flick of her hand. She heard Lucas moving around the house, but there was no indication that he'd found Brooke and she wasn't surprised. She knew the moment Lucas told her that Brooke's car wasn't there that her friend was not at home.

"She's probably at the shop," Peyton said after a few minutes of nothing from Lucas.

"Maybe…" He didn't speak again for a few more seconds and Peyton distracted herself by pulling the shirt she'd thrown off at some point during the night back on. Her jeans were in the corner of the room, a few feet away from Owen's boxers.

She let out a loud groan, the implications of last night finally registering in her mind. This was bad. This was _really _bad. She's slept with her best friend's ex-boyfriend. Once again, she'd betrayed her best friend and this time it was for a complete loser.

"Is something wrong?" Lucas asked over the line.

"No, no," she mumbled, smoothing out her top. Owen was standing up now, searching for his own clothes.

"Okay, well, I'm gonna go to the shop. She has to be there."

"She probably went in early," Peyton said, trying to find some way to comfort both herself and Lucas. "You know how Brooke gets when she needs a distraction— she becomes a workaholic."

"Yeah…" He didn't sound entirely convinced and she wasn't either. The store didn't open until ten on Thursdays and it was just barely seven. There was no good reason for Brooke to be there that early. "I'll meet you there, okay, Luke?"

"Sure," he muttered distractedly. And then he hung up.

She darted over to her desk, reaching for her purse.

"Is something wrong with Brooke?" she heard Owen ask from behind her. She turned to look at him. He stood there, his clothes wrinkled and his hair messy from sleep, looking much like she felt—worried.

"No," she answered quickly. Brooke was no longer Owen's business. "She's fine."

"Then what was going on?" Owen pushed. He stood at the door, his huge body preventing her from leaving. "It sounded like something was up."

"It's nothing," Peyton said through clenched teeth. "I've got to go, Owen, so please move. Make sure you lock up my office on the way out."

Owen stepped aside, but he didn't look pleased. Peyton just rolled his eyes; this guy really needed to mind his own business.

Before she made her way down the stairs, she turned to look back at Owen. "And just to make it clear, whatever the hell happened last night means absolutely nothing."

"Yeah, fine," Owen muttered, waving her off indifferently.

With that said, she trudged down the stairs, the huge mistake that was her night with Owen temporarily leaving her mind as she thought once again of figuring out what was going on with Brooke.

**888**

Everything felt numb. Her body, her soul, her mind. And the funny thing was she didn't mind it. It was actually kind of nice not having to suffer through the heartbreak and pain that last night had caused her. Those thoughts were depressing and it was much better to feel numb than to be depressed and feel sorry for herself.

Brooke was lying on her side on the couch that was situated in the middle of her store, her breathes slow and steady. The blinds were pulled over the huge front windows and the windows on the door were covered by blinds as well. In all the time she'd been working there, she'd never felt a need to pull down the dusty blinds before, but when she woke up two hours ago to find herself laying on the cold floor of her store, she didn't want anyone to see the mess that had been left in the wake of her attack and so she finally put them to use.

Her _attack_. She still couldn't fully comprehend it, but it was true—she'd been attacked, no doubt by someone who was working for her mother. She was pretty sure about that.

Her eyes felt tired and dry as she stared blankly at the pile of clothes that littered the ground in front of her. The stand that had been holding the clothes was knocked over. A shattered mannequin sat next to it. The only other sign of an attack, other than her battered body, of course, was the cash strewn around the counter.

When she'd finally had the strength to get up from her spot on the ground earlier, she'd gone to count the money. Every single piece of money was there— not one penny was missing. And when she'd looked under the counter for her newest designs only to find nothing, she'd known who was behind the attack.

For only a second she'd allowed herself to wonder how her mother could be so evil, but she'd quickly tossed the thought aside because she'd never be able to understand it. There was no point in trying to figure out her mother. Instead, she'd busied herself by putting away the money and pulling down the blinds. People would walk by in the morning and if she left them open, then they'd see the mess in the middle of her shop and most likely would call the police.

After she'd done that, she walked slowly into one of the dressing rooms in the back. She'd taken a long, shaky breath before looking at herself in the full length mirror. The bruises had already started to show themselves and she'd only been able to look at herself for a few seconds before looking away. The purplish color that had formed around her eyes haunted her, as well as the very visible bruise around her right arm— a handprint. Her legs were covered with bruises as well, but these ones were not as bad. The worst one of all, even though it was surprisingly the least visible, was the one around her neck. It reminded her of her attacker's hands squeezing around her throat, cutting off her supply of oxygen. Just thinking about it now made it hard for her to breathe.

She'd been completely drained after looking at herself. The realization of what had happened to her hit her like a ton of bricks and she'd finally let herself cry as she collapsed onto the couch. She'd cried for what felt like hours. She cried for herself and for her newly formed hatred for her mother. She'd cried for the bruises that ran over her body and for the designs she'd lost. And when it felt like she'd cried all the tears that her body could make, she calmed down and simply laid there.

That was when the feeling of numbness had come over her. That was when she'd decided that feeling nothing was better than mulling over the hard reality of what had happened to her. She couldn't even bear to think of it anymore; it was just too hard.

And that left her where she was now, lying on the couch, her expression blank and uncaring. This was what her mother had done to her. She hoped that getting her hands on the designs was worth losing her daughter over.

Brooke looked over at the door. She needed to leave soon if she was to escape back to her house unnoticed. Sunshine peeked through the blinds and she knew it was morning and that people would be bustling around the streets soon. Still, she couldn't bring herself to get up. If she went home, she'd run into Peyton or someone else and she couldn't deal with that right now. She just wanted to be alone.

Then she heard someone outside. She recognized a low, worried sounding voice and she hoped that it wasn't who she thought it was. The voice came closer and soon she saw a shadow right outside the door. She saw the doorknob twist and his shadow grew bigger as the imprint of his head appeared through the blinds and onto the floor.

She heard him pound on the door and call out her name, but she stayed put, ignoring his calls.

She couldn't let him see her like this.

**888**

Lucas let out a huge sigh of relief when he saw Brooke's car parked in front of her shop. She had to be there.

He parked his car behind hers, jumping out of it and striding over to the door. He was surprised to see that both the window and door were blocked by blinds. There was no way he could see inside. He'd been with Brooke when she closed before and she'd never pulled these blinds down before, which didn't do anything to ease his anxiety.

"I'm here, Peyton," he said into his phone. "It looks like she's here, but everything's locked."

"I'll be there in a few minutes," Peyton responded and he hung up once again.

His hand went to the doorknob, but, not to his surprise, it was locked. His face pressed up against the window, trying to peek inside. He couldn't make out anything. He let out an aggravated sigh as he took a step back from the door.

"Come on, Brooke," he murmured.

He paced the sidewalk, running a hand anxiously through his buzzed hair. He looked around for a spare key, but found nothing. This was getting very frustrating. He hated that he had no idea if she was okay or not. He _hated _that if she was in trouble, he couldn't get to her. He felt like he was letting her down.

Unable to contain his frustration any longer, he strode back over to the door, pounding his fists on it relentlessly.

"Open the door, Brooke!"

If he hit it any harder, the window would definitely break and he was wondering if that would be a bad thing. After all, it would get him inside. But he knew he couldn't break Brooke's window and so he forced himself to stop his knocking.

He groaned angrily, pulling out his phone again and calling Brooke for what felt like the hundredth time that morning. She didn't answer. His fingers gripped the phone tightly as he resisted the urge to throw it. She was _in _there and something was wrong and he couldn't do anything about it. The only thing stopping him was the door.

So he started pounding at the glass again, this time not caring if the glass broke or not.

**888**

Why wouldn't Lucas just go away? He'd been at the door for ten minutes now, pounding the door with his fists and calling out her name, begging her to let him in. Didn't he get the picture? She didn't want to let him in. She _couldn't _let him in. He just couldn't see her like this.

She was ashamed. It was as simple as that. She couldn't bear to think of him or anyone else close to her seeing her like this. It would prove to them that she was weak, that she couldn't fight her own battles. They'd all give her their sympathy and pity, but she didn't want that. She just wanted to be the strong and proud Brooke Davis that she'd always been. But she knew by now that after last night, that girl was gone, at least for now, and she had no idea if she would ever come back.

Brooke knew she was being stubborn. Lucas would help her, not pity her. He would be there for her and take care of her, not look down at her. So why couldn't she just open the door and let him in?

The answer was easy—because of all the people she knew, she was scared most of the way Lucas Scott made her feel. Letting him into her store right now would be in essence the same as letting him into her heart and therefore letting him see her in her most vulnerable state.

And she learned a long time ago that she would never let Lucas Scott into her heart ever again.

**888**

When Peyton pulled up to the store, Lucas was pounding furiously on the front door. She rushed over to him, grabbing him by the shoulder.

"You're gonna break the window."

He keeled over, trying to catch his breath, and shook his head. "She's in there, Peyton."

Peyton's eyes traveled back to the shop, confused at the sight of the blinds that blocked anyone from seeing inside.

"Are you sure?"

He nodded. "Yes."

"Then why hasn't she opened the door?" She didn't understand why Brooke would choose to ignore their calls if she was inside.

"I don't know." He sighed, leaning against the window in defeat. "Something has to be wrong."

Peyton didn't want to agree with him, but she knew it was true. She leaned next to him. He looked more worried than she'd ever seen him. If a complete stranger had come here to help Lucas out, they would've guessed that Lucas was looking for someone who was much more than a friend. Her eyes narrowed at the thought; did he have feelings for Brooke that went beyond friendship?

And then reality set in and she felt like kicking herself for even worrying about that at a time like this. Something was wrong with her best friend and here she was seriously wondering if the reason Lucas was so intent on finding Brooke was because he had feelings for her. Brooke was his friend too and he cared a lot about her, something that Peyton completely understood. She had no right to wonder what his intentions were with Brooke.

"What are we gonna do, Lucas?" she asked as she pushed herself off the window and began pacing back and forth. She couldn't sit here anymore; she needed to _do _something.

"I'm about ready to break down the door, to be honest," he answered.

Peyton just threw up her hands. "Then what are we waiting for?"

**888**

Peyton was outside now, too. Brooke could hear her talking with Lucas. How did they even know to come here? Brooke quickly decided that that was a stupid question; Peyton had probably noticed that she never came home last night. She'd never called Lucas back either, which of course would make him suspicious. She always called him back.

Her eyes traveled back to the door. Lucas' silhouette was back on the floor, along with Peyton's. She watched as the outlines grew larger and larger and then, without any warning, crashed into the door. She sat up, eyes narrowing. Where they trying to knock down her door? She almost smiled at that; her friends were too good to her— crazy, but good.

A moment later, Lucas and Peyton repeated their actions and Brooke was left shaking her head in amusement. This wasn't the time to laugh, but she couldn't help it. Imagining her two best friends ramming themselves into the door was too funny to resist.

Her smile faded a second later as she realized that it was pointless to try to keep them away. They were obviously very worried about her and it was wrong to keep them in the dark. It would hurt to open up to them and show them what happened, but it was stupid to hide away and pretend that nothing was wrong.

Because something _was_ wrong and she would only hurt herself more by closing them off. She knew that both the physical and emotional bruises that had resulted from last night would take a long time to fade. It would be a long and hard journey, but she couldn't do it alone and she was foolish to let her pride and shame get in the way of that.

So she stood up and walked slowly over to the door, preparing herself for the pain that was sure to come.

**888**

Lucas clenched his fists together in anger. His eyes were narrowed into tiny slits as he stared down the door. It was too strong for them to knock down. He needed to break the window. He'd worry about the damage later.

He walked to the door, his eyes penetrating the window. Peyton asked him what he was doing, but he ignored her. He slowly raised his fists. And then one blind creeped open and he saw the distinct brownish hazel that was her eye staring back at him.

"Brooke," he murmured, relief spreading through every fiber of his being. Peyton appeared next to him, her face twisted up in confusion. The blind closed a second later and he and Peyton both waited in silence.

Then the lock clicked and the door slowly opened and he took a step back, unsure of what to expect. A gasp sounded from Peyton as the door completely opened and his face fell at the sight in front of him.

She stood there, battered and bruised, and he felt tears well up in his eyes. Her face was void of any sort of emotion, but his heart was breaking as he looked at her.

And then Peyton spoke. "Brooke, what happened to you?"

* * *

**A/N: **I know a lot of you wanted Lucas to find Brooke unconscious at her store, but the way I planned this chapter Brooke needed to be conscious and aware when he found her. She's dealing with the conflicting emotions of wanted to keep people out and hiding this from her friends and I wanted to deal with that right away. I think it's really important that Brooke opens up to them of her own free will and that's what she's going to do. One thing I hated in the show was that Brooke hid from everyone. And that's understandable, but I think the story would have been so much more emotional if she had opened up to her friends about it and actually told them (I know she told Peyton, but on screen that was all we got and that wasn't how it should have gone). Anyway, I don't know if what I just said makes any sense, but that's why I wrote this chapter the way I did.

Also, I know a lot of you would have preferred that Peyton wasn't there with Lucas to find her, but I felt like Peyton being there was sort of necessary. Right now, the story isn't just about Brucas, it's about the Breyton friendship too, which will be pretty predominant in this story.

Anyway, I just wanted to make all that clear. I hope I don't lose any readers because of that!

Thanks so much for reading and please review!

**Lena: **I'm glad you enjoyed last chapter. I know this chapter didn't have a ton of Brucas, but I hope you liked it anyway. The next few chapters will definitely have some more of them. I'm also glad that you liked that I kept the attack storyline in here. Ever since watching the whole storyline unfold on the show, I knew it should have been done differently. I think it had so much potential to be a very powerful storyline and in ways it was, but it could have been so much more. I mean, if we go by what we see on the show, Peyton, Deb, and Sam are the only ones who know about the attack. It was just handled horribly, just like all of season six has been handled. And yes, I agree, the stair excuse was just stupid. It was almost as bad as the dog eating Dan's heart… Anyway, my point is that I'm going to try my best to handle this storyline better than they did on the show, which shouldn't be incredibly hard ;). Thanks so much for reviewing!


	4. Broken

**Broken**

"Brooke, what happened to you?"

She just stood in the middle of the doorway, avoiding Lucas and Peyton's gazes, unsure of what to say. She wanted to lie, tell them that she'd done something silly like fall down the stairs, but she couldn't. Not only because they'd probably never believe her, but because they deserved to know the truth. They'd obviously gone through great lengths to find her today, judging by the fact that they'd attempted to knock down her door, and that proved more than ever just how much they truly cared about her. For that reason alone she owed it to them to tell them.

But she was scared—scared of what the truth meant and what it would bring. She didn't want the pity that they would feel for her or the pure weakness they would see in her. It would be humiliating.

She needed to tell them, though. First, though, she would need to find the strength to speak.

After a few seconds of silence, she allowed her eyes to travel upwards to look at two of her closest friends. Peyton's hand was covering her mouth, her eyes wide, clearly in shock. Lucas stood a few feet behind Peyton, his eyes bearing intensely into hers. He looked so confused.

The numbness that had overtaken her body a short while ago was fading as she looked at them. Now she just felt broken.

She looked back down at the ground, trying desperately to keep the tears that were welling up in her eyes from falling. She wasn't going to cry. Not now. She looked weak enough as it was.

**888**

Lucas couldn't understand what was happening.

Even though he'd come to her store in full anticipation of something being wrong with Brooke, he'd never expected to see her like this. Her face looked like it had been rammed into a brick wall over and over again and a few large bruises ran down both her arm. He was sure there were many more bruises hidden underneath her clothes as well.

What had happened to her? That was what he needed to know. It broke his heart looking at her standing there, staring at anything but him and Peyton.

Taking a steady breath to calm himself, he took a step closer to her. She looked down at the ground, unmoving. She had yet to answer Peyton's question from earlier and that only furthered his suspicion that whatever had happened to her had not been an accident.

He was standing right in front of her now and still she didn't look at him. When he lifted his hand to touch her arm, she flinched away. His hand froze, surprised at her reaction. Then her head slowly tipped upward and her eyes looked straight into his. There was a flash of stubbornness in them that was a familiar quality of Brooke's, but he saw past it. She was trying to throw up a strong exterior to hide her true emotions and to make it seem as if she didn't need them. He wasn't going to have that, though; there was no way she was going to go through this alone.

He lifted his hand again, inching it slowly towards her face. She held his gaze, defiant as ever, but he just shook his head, not playing her game. She didn't flinch when he touched her this time. His fingers gently grazed against her bruised eyes, resting to cup her cheek.

Then he repeated Peyton's question. "What happened to you?"

That was when she began to crumble. She looked away, unable to keep up her façade, her lips twitching into a frown. He could see tears welling up in her eyes as she inhaled sharply.

He'd never seen her look so completely lost before. Brooke Davis was the strongest and bravest person he knew and yet there she was, looking more helpless— more _ashamed _– than he'd ever seen her. And that was what scared him more than anything.

**888**

Peyton was frozen in place. There were so many thoughts running through her head—first and foremost _how _had this happened? Different scenarios ran through her mind of what could have happened, but none of them gave her any sense of relief. Then again, her best friend was standing in front of her looking like she'd been ran over so there was really nothing that could be good about this situation.

She watched as Lucas moved to Brooke, gently caressing her best friend's face. For a second, she was jealous of the attention he gave her, but it quickly died down. There was not a worse moment to let her petty insecurities shine through than now.

Brooke still hadn't answered her question and when Lucas asked it again a few moments later, they still received no answer. Peyton looked on in silence as Brooke's eyes met Lucas'. Even from her position, she could see the shame written on all over her best friend's face. Then Brooke's eyes traveled over to her and she looked so completely lost that Peyton couldn't stay put any longer.

She moved slowly over to Brooke, their eyes finally meeting, and very slowly put a hand on the bare skin of her arm. And then she saw something she hadn't noticed before—something so startling that she couldn't' help but take a step back. It was a handprint— _bruise_ in the shape of a handprint that wrapped around the top of Brooke's arm.

Shocked, Peyton looked back up at Brooke, who was now staring solemnly back at her.

"Brooke…"

She choked up, at a loss for words. She didn't even need any confirmation from Brooke; the look of complete and utter shame that crossed her best friend's face as Peyton's eyes widened in horror was enough— someone had done this to Brooke. Someone had _beaten _her.

That thought alone caused the tears to flow down her face.

**888**

Peyton knew; that was pretty clear. Her best friend was silently crying now, but there was anger in Peyton's eyes as well. Brooke felt like crying along with her, but she didn't. She still couldn't cry in front of them. Crying would be admitting defeat and she wasn't going to do that. She couldn't let her attacker take away her dignity.

It was too late for that, though. She just wasn't ready to admit it.

Lucas, on the other hand, still looked confused. Brooke glanced back at him. His hand had moved to rest on her shoulder. He was looking at her searchingly, desperate for an explanation. And he deserved one.

She opened her mouth, taking a deep breath. It was time to face the truth.

"I was attacked."

Her voice was hoarse and tired. It almost hurt to talk, but she needed to say it and now that she had, she felt a very small wave of relief brush over her.

The moment she said the words, Lucas tensed. He looked even more horrified than earlier, but when the realization settled in of what she'd said, he took two steps back, and she lost all contact from his body. His fists clenched so tightly that it looked like his knuckle bones were about to burst out from his skin. His eyes narrowed into dangerous slits. He looked about ready to strangle someone.

Then, in the blink of an eye, his face softened and he once again moved back to her side. She kept her emotions in check as his hands wrapped around her, pulling her into his warm embrace. For a moment, she remained frozen in his arms, but then as the overwhelming sensation of safety rushed through her, she let herself give in to him.

And then the tears came.

**888**

He wanted to kill whoever did this to her. When she'd first uttered the words that she'd been attacked, his immediate reaction was to jump in his car, hunt down the person who'd done this to her, and do just that, but he'd known that wouldn't solve anything. She needed him now and he would be there for her. The rest would be dealt with later.

So he walked back over to her and pulled her into his arms, hoping that he could find some way to give her any sort of comfort. Most of all, though, he just wanted her to know that he'd take care of her, that he was going to try to keep her safe from here on out. No one would ever touch her like that again as long as he was around.

Then she was crying and at each sob his heart broke into smaller and smaller pieces. She dug her head into his sweatshirt, the tears drenching it almost immediately, but he didn't care. He just ran his hands soothingly up and down her back, resting his chin on the top of her head.

Another second passed and then Peyton was behind Brooke, wrapping her own arms around her, so that Brooke was sandwiched between them both. Brooke turned around slightly, allowing herself to fall into Peyton's arms completely. Lucas took a few steps back, letting the Brooke's best friend comfort her, and watched them silently.

People were starting to walk around the streets and so after a few minutes, Lucas put a hand on Peyton's shoulder. The blonde looked up at him, tears rolling down her cheeks, and he motioned wordlessly towards the door. Peyton nodded and they both led Brooke inside. Peyton walked with Brooke over to the couch and they both sat down. Brooke's sobs had quieted down and now she sat there, her head resting on Peyton's shoulder, taking slow, calming breathes.

Lucas was trying so hard to stay calm, but when he stepped inside and saw the broken mannequin and the clothes strewn across the floor, the fury that had overcome him earlier came back and he was left standing at the doorway, his jaw set firmly, his eyes narrowed.

One thing was for sure—whoever did this was going to pay. He'd never been a very vengeful person and, except for those fights with Nathan back in high school, he was really quite peaceful, but this was too much. When someone deliberately hurt a person that he loved, _that _was taking it too far.

And then another thought struck his mind and he had to force himself from ramming his fist into the wall at the thought of it. But he needed to remain calm for Brooke's sake.

He closed the door behind him and walked over to the couch. Brooke looked up at him with her swollen and bruised eyes as he stopped in front of her. Peyton's arm was still wrapped protectively around Brooke and when Peyton looked at him, he could already tell that she was thinking along the same lines as him.

And so, even though he was afraid of what her answer might be, he voiced the question that both he and Peyton were wondering.

"Brooke… Did he…?

He couldn't even finish the sentence—it killed him too much to say it aloud— but luckily Brooke could already tell what he was asking and he was so relieved to see her shake her head.

"No," she murmured quietly, "he didn't."

There was a conviction in her words that told him she wasn't lying, that her attacker hadn't violated her in the cruelest possible way. He didn't need to hear anything else; he believed her.

He took a seat next to Brooke and then stole a glance at Peyton, who looked just as relieved as he felt. He focused on Brooke again. She was calm now—almost eerily so—and her tears were drying on her face. She stared tiredly at the mess on the floor in front of them.

What could he possibly say in this situation to make her feel any better? There really was nothing, he knew, and that was why he only put a comforting hand on Brooke's back and settled into silence. There was nothing else he could do right now except be there for her.

Only one other thing was on his mind now and that was the biggest question of all: who did this to her? He needed to know, but he didn't want to push anything out of her until she was ready. But as he sat next to her, running his hand up and down her back, and watched Peyton string her hands through Brooke's hair, he couldn't handle not knowing anymore.

"Brooke, do you…" He started off slowly, unsure of whether he should continue or not. She was relatively calm now and he didn't want to ruin any progress she'd made since they'd found her. But he needed to know and so he continued on. "Do you know who did this to you?"

**888**

Brooke was wondering when he or Peyton would ask her that. She wasn't sure she was ready to tell them or even if she was right about her suspicions about her mother being behind it. If she told them, then they'd probably want to do something about it and she didn't think that was wise right now. She didn't even know for sure if Victoria _was _behind it, anyway.

That was a lie. She _did_ know. There was no one else who could have possibly done it. Maybe if they'd stolen her money instead of her designs, or even taken the money along with the designs, she would have thought otherwise, but there was no denying that stealing only her designs was a pure coincidence. In fact, her mother couldn't have been more obvious.

She took a deep breath as she made the decision to tell them. She wasn't going to hide anything from them now, not after everything they'd done for her today.

"I don't know," she said huskily, "but I think Victoria was behind it."

She turned to Lucas. He looked completely taken by surprise. His eyebrows were furrowed in confusion, as if he was calculating in his mind how a mother could possibly do something like this to her own daughter.

"Why do you think that?" Peyton asked.

Brooke's eyes fell on her best friend. "The person who attacked me…" She swallowed, trying to find the right words. "They stole my designs. _Only _my designs. Nothing else."

"Are you sure that's all they stole?" Lucas questioned.

She resumed staring straight ahead of her, her eyelids drooping. She was so exhausted.

"Yes."

Silence overcame them for a moment before Peyton took her hand. "Oh, Brooke, I'm so sorry…"

Lucas strung his fingers through hers. "We're going to figure this out," he said seriously. She just nodded. He looked directly into her eyes. "We're here for you, Brooke," he continued. "Everything's going to be okay…"

Her head fell onto Lucas' shoulder and she let out a long sigh as her eyes slowly closed. "I know."

It was amazing the change she felt from only a short while ago, when she'd felt so alone and so broken, but now she just felt safe. She was still confused and angry, and it was also hard to ignore the pain from the bruises that were a constant reminder of the hell she'd gone through, but with Lucas and Peyton here with her, there was a new sense of hope and safety. She wasn't alone, she'd _never _be alone, and her two best friends here with her proved that. And even though it would be a long time before she would fully heal, she knew that as long as she had them by her side, she would be okay.

* * *

**A/N: **I'm sorry that this chapter was so short! I just needed to end it there but I promise that most other chapters in this story will be much longer. I was intending on updating Awakening before this one, but I left you all with a cliffhanger last chapter and so I decided to work on this story first. I'll be working on Awakening over the weekend, so it should be too long before the next chapter's up.

Thank you all for your amazing reviews last chapter! Without them I'd never be motivated to write, so keep them coming ;).

And now I've got a couple responses to anonymous reviews:

**Christine: **First off, thanks so much for taking the time to review! Haha, I _never _ever would have done the stairs excuse. I don't know how Brooke actually expected people to believe her in the first place, but the fact that they all bought her lie so easily was just plain stupid. I can understand why you'd hate them all for a few weeks. They were completely clueless, even though it was so incredibly obvious that she didn't fall down the stairs. I agree with you too about Lucas' hero complex. It's so unlike Lucas to completely ignore Brooke during a time like that. Leyton or no Leyton, he would normally never do that. It's just not him. And yet he _did_ ignore her and it was so completely out of character and just wrong, especially after season 5. I really don't know what came over the writers because that whole storyline just turned out horribly. Anyway, I hope that Peyton won't be too annoying for you in this story. I'm not much of a fan of her anymore, but I used to like her, so I like to portray her as I used to love her in the show. Hopefully, she'll be tolerable for you! Thanks again for reviewing and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

**Lena: **Hey! I'm so happy that last chapter was your favorite so far! I wasn't sure how I felt about it at first, but it's good to know that everyone seemed to really like it. I'm going to be honest and tell you that you're probably going to be annoyed with Peyton for a little while longer in this story, but after she gets over Lucas, I really hope you'll start liking her more. I completely understand why you hate her, though. It's pretty easy to hate Peyton ;). But she's going to be cool in this story, I promise. And she'll also be a really good friend to Brooke too, so hopefully that will score her some points with you too. As for Brooke not hiding herself like she did in the show, I just couldn't do it that way. It's understandable why she did it on the show, but I think it would have been so much better if she opened up. And that's what she's going to do in this story. She's still going to have a tough time and it's going to take a little while to move on from it, especially since she's going to have to deal with Victoria at some point, but with all of her friends' support, getting through it is going to be much easier for her. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this new chapter as much as the last one and thanks for reviewing!


	5. Questions

**Questions**

It was strange to think about how different Brooke's life had been less than a week ago. It was only five days ago that she was still taking care of Angie. She was finishing up on her latest line, which she'd been quite proud of, and her mother had been out of her life and, best of all, it hadn't seemed like she'd be coming back. Everything was in her control and for the first time in a long time, she was just completely happy. Nothing could have brought her down. At least that was what she'd thought.

But then, in a span of time that passed so quickly that she barely even had time to process it, Angie was gone and her mother was back and it seemed as if everything was crumbling around her. Then she was attacked and her designs were stolen and the main culprit was the person who'd brought her into this world. It was almost hard to believe that her life had taken a complete one-eighty in such a short amount of time.

She just wanted to know _why _this had happened. The question of who was already answered — although it wasn't yet confirmed— but she needed to know why her mother would do something like this. Did she really just want her designs? That was a pathetic excuse to send someone to rob her store in Brooke's opinion. But if Victoria just wanted the designs, then why would the robber have attacked her? There was no justifiable reason and Brooke doubted that she'd ever really be satisfied with the answer to that question because of that.

A long and heavy sigh escaped her as she adjusted her position on her couch. She really didn't like dwelling on everything that had happened, but it was hard to ignore the bruises that covered her body and that made it nearly impossible to try to forget how screwed up her life had recently become. She was starting to get used to the bruises, though. They were slowly starting to fade and the pain that they brought to her physically had died down, although that couldn't be said about the pain they brought to her emotionally; she wasn't sure she'd ever be able to completely get over that.

As she leaned against the arm of the couch and wrapped a blanket around her body, she heard Haley moving around in the kitchen. There was really only one thing that was getting Brooke through this time and that was the support her friends were giving her. Every single one of them had come to her aide, offering their support. They never seemed to leave her alone—Lucas and Peyton in particular— and, although that did get slightly annoying after awhile, she still appreciated it more than she'd ever be able to express. There really was no way she would be able to get through this without them.

Her eyes stared blankly at the TV in front of her. She wasn't even sure what she was watching, but she didn't really care anyway. She just needed something to distract her from her thoughts.

"Hey." She felt Haley take a seat next to her. There was a pause before Haley spoke again. "Sandwich?"

Brooke slowly turned her head, her eyes falling to the plate Haley was holding out for her. She smiled gratefully, taking the plate from Haley. Focusing back on the TV, she ate in silence. She hadn't done a lot of talking lately—she just hadn't had the energy—and for the most part, her friends hadn't pushed her to talk, something she was grateful for. It seemed today, though, that Haley had other plans.

"Jamie's missing you like crazy."

She dropped her half-eaten sandwich back onto the plate, automatically frowning at the mention of her godson. She was missing him like crazy too, but there was no way she would let him see her like this. It was one thing for her friends to see her in this condition, but Jamie would have never understood what happened and she, as well as the others, didn't have the heart to explain it to him.

"I don't want him seeing me like this," Brooke said quietly.

"I know." For a moment, neither said anything. Brooke continued eating and then Haley's hand moved to rest on Brooke's knee. "You know I'm here if you ever need to talk, right?"

Brooke couldn't help but smile at that. "You say that every day, along with everyone else."

"I just want to make sure that you know that we're always going to be here," Haley said seriously.

"I know you are," Brooke said after a few seconds of silence. She put her hand over Haley's, squeezing it. "Thank you, Haley."

"I'm just glad you're not shutting us out. In a situation like this, I wouldn't really blame you if you did."

When she'd woken up in her store that morning, cold, alone and in more pain than she ever could remember being in, she'd thought about trying to keep this a secret. She'd thought about leaving Tree Hill for a little while to get away from them all or at least trying to lie about what happened to her. But then Lucas and Peyton had came and she realized that lying to them about this would be so completely pointless. There was no reason to shut her friends out, especially when she knew that they only wanted to be there for her, and by cutting them out of this, she'd be taking on the burden of the attack all by herself, something she knew by now that she wasn't capable of doing. There was no way she would have been able to make a proper recovery if she did.

"That would just make things much harder than they need to be," Brooke replied.

Haley nodded solemnly. "It really would. We want to be here for you, Brooke. We love you. Don't you ever forget that."

Brooke smiled softly, Haley's words meaning more than she could ever know. "I won't."

And it was in that moment that she started to realize that she already was starting to heal from this and it was all because of them.

**888**

Lucas sifted through the racks of clothes, making sure everything was in place. He was at Brooke's store, which had been closed down for the past few days. It would soon be time to open it up again and, with Nathan and Peyton's help, that was what he was preparing to do. Millicent would be coming back to Tree Hill for the next few weeks to help out until Brooke was ready to come back and, once she was in Tree Hill, then the store would be ready to be opened again.

"Is everything good over there?" he asked Nathan.

"Yeah," his brother called across the room. "Everything's where it should be."

"Good," Lucas said and he smiled in relief as he proceeded to fall onto the couch. They'd been at the store since that morning and now, at nearly three in the afternoon, everything was finally settled. He didn't have a lot of time to rest, though. He had a flight to New York in a little over three hours. He definitely wasn't looking forward to leaving home at a time like this, but he'd promised Lindsay that he'd come and it was too late to break that promise.

"So," Nathan said as he sat next to Lucas, "have you heard anything back from the police?"

After much convincing, they'd been able to get Brooke to file a police report a few days ago. So far, they hadn't been able to find any suspects. Victoria had apparently been questioned and was cleared by the police, something that Brooke was not happy about at all. She was convinced that Victoria was still behind it and, by now, so was he. It was the only thing that made sense. Only Brooke's designs had been stolen, nothing else, and that was too huge of a coincidence in Lucas' opinion. He, along with pretty much everyone who knew Brooke, agreed with that. Victoria might not have actually ordered someone to attack Brooke, but she definitely ordered someone to steal from her. Now all Lucas wanted to do was get Victoria to actually admit to it. She might have been able to sweet talk the police onto her side, but there was no way she could do the same to him.

Even after these last few days, it was still hard for Lucas to come to terms with what happened to Brooke. It infuriated him to know that someone had intentionally hurt Brooke. It infuriated him even more to know that he couldn't have kept it from happening. He just wished he could have saved her from the pain she was going through. He'd been regretting that since the moment he'd found her at her store only a few days ago.

"No," Lucas answered with a sigh. "They're still ruling out Victoria and they've got no other suspects."

"The police are idiots," Peyton said as she joined them from the backroom. "Victoria's obviously behind this. She probably paid them off or something."

"Can she do that?" Nathan asked.

"I doubt she could actually pay them off," Lucas replied, "but according to Brooke she's a good liar and I wouldn't put it past her to put on a very convincing act to get them to believe whatever lies she feeds them."

Peyton nodded in agreement. "She's such a coward… God, I hate that bitch."

"I think we all do," Nathan said with a chuckle. "Anyway," he added, standing up, "I've got to go pick Jamie up from school."

"How's Jamie doing with all this?" Lucas asked. He hadn't spent a lot of time with Jamie since the attack, but he knew that Nathan and Haley had only told their son that Brooke was in New York for work. Brooke didn't want Jamie to see her in the condition she was in, which Lucas understood that completely, but he still felt bad knowing that Jamie had no clue what was going on.

"He's missing her," Nathan replied as he made his way to the door. "There's nothing we can really do about it, though, at least until Brooke's healed up enough for her to be comfortable with Jamie seeing her."

Lucas shook his head, eyes narrowing in anger. "I just hate what this did to her. She shouldn't have to hide away from Jamie. I swear that I'm gonna get to the bottom of this and figure out if Victoria was behind it. There's no way I'll let her get away with doing this to Brooke."

"Don't worry, Luke," Nathan said, "sooner or later, everything will come out and whoever did this—Victoria or not—will pay for what they did to Brooke."

Then Nathan said a quiet goodbye before slipping outside. Lucas hoped his brother was right. He couldn't stand the thought of not knowing who'd done this. In his mind, he could try to blame Victoria all he wanted, but until he knew for sure if she did it, there was only one person he could truly blame and that was himself. If he'd been with Brooke, this would have never happened. He could have protected her and saved her like he'd promised he would so long ago. But he'd gone home and spent his night alone, leaving her with only a simple phone call. He hadn't even gone to see her, even though he knew she was still dealing with the loss of Angie. Brooke would hate for him to blame himself for this, but he just couldn't help it.

"You okay?"

He was shaken from his thoughts at the sound of Peyton's voice. He'd almost forgotten she was there. She took a seat next to him, smiling softly.

"Yeah," he replied, sending her a smile, "I'm fine."

She nodded and they fell into a comfortable silence. He was surprised out how great things had been going between them lately. They'd been spending a lot of time together because of Brooke and because of that, they'd been forced to put aside everything that was going on between them and just focus on their friend. It had worked well so far and they'd manage to avoid any awkwardness still lingering between them.

For the first time in a long time, he was actually happy with the way things were going between him and Peyton. They were friends, nothing more. He just hoped Peyton wouldn't try to ruin the friendship they'd only just started to rebuild.

But when she turned to face him, a look of pure determination in her eyes, he had a feeling she was going to do just that.

**888**

Peyton had been putting this conversation off with Lucas for a long time and now she was finally getting her chance. Things might have been good between them now, but there was still so much left unsaid between them and they really needed to clear the air and try to settle everything once more. It was a risk to the friendship they'd formed during the last few days, but it was necessary.

"Lucas," she began, and she could tell by the frown that had formed on his face that he knew where this conversation was going, "I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for the way everything's been between us lately. This whole thing with Brooke has really put things in perspective for me. I mean, there are somany other issues in my life that are more important than whether or not you and I will be getting back together. I've been so busy forcing myself on you, when I should have just sat back and let things happen. So I've decided that I'm not going to worry about it anymore. I'm going to focus on Brooke and work. As for me and you, for now I think we should just work on being friends again."

He couldn't have looked more relieved. "I agree."

"Things will work out between us eventually, anyway," she continued. "There's no reason for me to rush anything."

The frown on his faced returned and she immediately knew she said the wrong thing. Before she could try to cover up her mistake, he spoke.

"Peyton, I'm really sorry, but I don't think things will ever work out between us in the way that you're thinking. We had our time together and it was great, it really was, but it's over now and, to be completely honest, I don't think I can ever see myself in a relationship with you again. I want to be your friend, Peyton, but that's all."

The pain that brought her was overwhelming and she tried desperately to keep him from seeing it. It was like a blow to the heart; she just couldn't believe it. He'd never before denied that a relationship between them was still possible. Yes, he had made it seem as if he wasn't interested in her; he'd even told her that he hated her and that she ruined his life, but he'd never meant that and he told her that as well. And yes, it had seemed as if his feelings for her were nothing more than a friend, but she'd always thought it was just him living in denial. He'd never flat out told her that he just didn't want to be with her. And now that he had, she just didn't know how to handle it.

"Do you really mean that?" she asked, trying so hard to keep her emotions in check. She couldn't let him see how much this was affecting her, but it was probably too late for that.

He nodded solemnly. "I'm really sorry, but I can't change how I feel. And I do love you, Peyton; it's just not in the same way that I used to."

She didn't want to hear this. Out of everything she'd expected him to say, she hadn't expected a full-out rejection.

This wasn't how she was going to go down, though. She wouldn't let it happen this way. If he was going to deny her, it wasn't going to be without a fight.

So, without a second thought, she flung herself onto him. Her hands held onto his face in desperation as her lips attacked his. It was a few seconds before she got any response, but when she did, it wasn't what she wanted; he very gently lifted his hands onto hers, pulling them away from his face and onto her lap, and then pulled his lips away from hers completely.

Her eyes narrowed in confusion. How could he not have responded to that? Even that night at Tric, when he was still with Lindsay, he had kissed her back. Now, though, he'd had no interest in the slightest. She just couldn't understand him.

As he looked at her, she grew even more frustrated. It was as if he knew something that she didn't and it annoyed her to no end.

"Did you feel anything?" he asked after a moment of silence.

The frown that had formed on her face deepened. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, did you feel that spark we used to have?" He didn't give her time to answer. "Because I didn't."

She didn't know how to respond to that because she truthfully wasn't sure. It wasn't like the kiss had lasted long or that he'd even bothered to kiss back. All she felt in the kiss was the desperation she'd put into it in trying to get him to kiss her back. It hadn't been sweet or passionate, but rather lustful and forced on her part, and above all, it had been a last ditch effort to get him back on her side. Apparently it hadn't worked.

"No," she finally said, even thought she desperately wanted to deny it, "I didn't."

He kept giving her that knowing look, like he was finally getting through to her, and she honestly didn't know what else to say because in a way, he _was_ getting through to her. She hated it, but he was. He didn't want to be with her. For some reason, even though he'd been single for a few months now, he just wasn't interested in her. She really had no clue how to respond to that.

Before she could make any attempt to say anything else, he stood up. He wore a sympathetic smile as he looked down at her.

"I'm leaving for New York in a couple of hours," he said softly. "I think you should really try to start reevaluating your feelings for me while I'm gone. You need to know if what you're feeling for me is really love or lust."

She didn't say anything; she just watched in defeat as he walked to the door. He opened it, stepping outside, and then he was gone and she felt so incredibly confused as she tried to come to terms with what had just happened.

Lucas didn't want to be with her. That was all there was to it. After everything they'd been through, he simply had no romantic interest in her anymore. And now she was left wondering if she felt the same way.

**888**

"Hey you."

Brooke's head immediately perked up at the sound of Lucas' voice and she couldn't help but smile as she lifted her legs up from the couch so that he could sit next to her. She sat up, allowing him more room.

"Hey," she said softly.

"How are you feeling?"

"Good, actually."

He cocked an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Really."

He smiled. "Good."

He lifted his hand, moving it slowly up to graze her cheek. He'd been doing that a lot lately-- touching her. At first, she was pretty sure it was more of a therapy for her. After the attack, the thought of someone touching her in any sort of way was daunting, but he'd been quick to help her recover from that and she'd let him do so without much hesitance. Now, days later, it seemed as if he'd gotten used to this new intimacy between them and she didn't mind at all. She loved the feeling of his skin against hers. It was something she'd been missing for so many years and to feel it again, even in a way as simple as his hand grazing her face like this, was greater than she could have imagined.

"How's the store?" she asked as his hand fell on top of hers. He held on to it loosely and she relished the touch.

"Everything's back to normal," he answered.

"That's good…"

She didn't like thinking about the store much right now. It brought back those memories that she'd much rather suppress, although she knew she'd have to come to terms with everything eventually. Still, it had only been four days since the attack; no one could blame her for not being ready to go back.

"Are you staying over tonight?" she asked, changing the subject. Even though Peyton was here to take care of her, Lucas had spent a few nights at her house, sleeping on the couch. She claimed that Peyton being there was enough, but she was actually relieved to have the extra comfort of knowing he was downstairs if she needed him.

"I have to go to New York in a few hours," he said, looking at her in confusion.

"Oh… I guess I forgot."

She wasn't thrilled at the idea of not having him around. She'd gotten so used to his presence, not only during the last few days, but for the last few months, and the thought of him not being close by wasn't appealing. If she'd learned one thing since moving back to Tree Hill, it was that she needed Lucas in her life. Nothing was right without him.

"Are you going to be okay here?" he asked seriously.

She nodded, putting on the best smile she could. "Of course. I've got Peyton and Haley and Nathan, and Millicent will be home tomorrow. I'll be perfectly fine."

She really wouldn't, but she didn't want to worry him. He had enough going on with his book and she didn't want to change his mind about going to New York.

Lucas, knowing her as well as he did, didn't look completely convinced, but luckily he didn't protest. Instead, he lifted his hand back up to her face, cupping her cheek. He was staring at her face, eyes narrowed in that broody way of his as he took in her bruises, and she could tell he was now lost in thought. She leaned her cheek into his hand, leaving him to his thoughts.

It was a few moments before he spoke. "I wish I could have been there to stop this," he said as his hand grazed over the purplish bruise under her eye. "I wish I could have saved you. No, I _should _have saved you."

She immediately pulled her head back, shaking her head. He was blaming himself, that was obvious, and there was no way she would let him do that. This wasn't anyone's fault.

"There was no way you could have known what was going to happen to me," she said firmly. "There was no way _anyone _could have known. You say that you should have saved me, but you _are _saving me, Lucas. When you came looking for me at my store, you saved me, and just by being here and looking after me, you're saving me too and don't ever think otherwise."

He was smiling now and she was happy to see that the confliction that had formed on his face was gone. His arms folded around her, holding her body close to his as he hugged her tightly. "Thanks, Brooke…"

She simply smiled against his chest, closing her eyes. She'd just talked the most with him right now than she had in four days and it felt surprisingly good.

"Don't blame yourself for this, okay?" she said as she pulled away from him.

He smiled softly. "I won't." He glanced towards the clock on the wall and sighed. "I've got to get going. My flight leaves in an hour and a half."

"Okay…"

He stood up, not looking at all happy to do so, and then looked pointedly down at her. "Are you sure you'll be okay?"

She chuckled. "I'll be fine. Now go see Lindsay. Maybe she's ready to take you back..."

"Funny," he said with a roll of his eyes. He reached his hand down again to touch her cheek, letting it linger there for a second. "I'll see you tomorrow night," he said, serious again.

"Yeah…"

Then his hand was back at his side and he sent her a feeble smile before walking over to the front door. He stopped there, looking back at her.

"I'll call you tonight."

"Sounds good," she said, smiling.

He grinned back at her and then turned to leave. When he was gone, she slipped back down on the couch, feeling much better than she had been earlier. Lucas had always had a way of making her feel better; she'd noticed that a lot lately and was very grateful for it. She didn't know how she would have gotten through this time without him. He'd been her saving grace, even if he didn't think he had been. He'd saved her, just like he promised so long ago, and that meant the world to her.

* * *

**A/N: **Okay, I can't say much because I've got to run, but I just wanted thank everyone who reviewed last chapter! I hope this one was worth the wait! And sorry for any sort of mistakes-- I either had to wait to edit this chapter and post it sometime tomorrow or not edit it all and post it tonight, and since I really wanted you guys to read it, I figured I'd just edit it later on. Anyway, thanks for reading and please remember to review!


	6. Reevaluation

**Reevaluation**

Later that night, Brooke was still on the couch. It seemed to be her permanent place of residence these last few days, although she'd been giving it up for Lucas at night when she would go upstairs to her own bed. She supposed that the couch was now her own personal bubble, where she could remain in her comfort zone, away from the real world.

Still, nothing could keep her from the growing boredom that was starting to take over her. She hadn't left the house in four days, a record for her, and it was starting to get to her. She still wasn't ready to face the world, but that didn't mean she was completely happy hiding away from everyone. It was only a matter of time before she would have to gain the courage to leave this house. It would be soon, she knew, just not yet.

"Dinner's ready," Peyton said from the kitchen.

Brooke didn't make any move to get up and she was happy when Peyton brought the food over to her. "Spaghetti," Peyton announced with a cheerful smile as she handed Brooke a plate, "my specialty." All Brooke had to do was cock an eyebrow for Peyton to continue. "Okay, maybe not my specialty more so than than the only thing I can actually cook."

"You're a better cook than me," Brooke said, chuckling.

"Nah...well, yeah, you're probably right."

Brooke watched Peyton dig into her food as they both fell into silence. Peyton had proved to be a more than amazing friend since the attack— not that Peyton hadn't always been a good friend, although both of them had certainly had their days where they were terrible to each other, but she'd set aside all of her own drama for the time being to focus solely on Brooke, something that Brooke was incredibly grateful for.

Peyton broke the silence. "You doing alright?"

"Yeah," Brooke said, smiling softly, and she was alright, although there was a still a part of her that was trying to distance herself from thinking about anything related to the attack. She was past the initial pain stage of the grieving process; now she just got angry and frustrated whenever she found herself wondering how this could have happened to her, especially if her mother was behind it— and Brooke was still so sure that she was.

Instead, she had to choose to think of other things that wouldn't make her want to throw something. This time she found her thoughts straying to Lucas. She wished he was here with them. He more than anyone had a way of making her simply forget everything, if only for a little while. She wondered when she'd gotten so dependent on him. It was probably sometime during the last few days, but she'd noticed during her time with Angie that she'd been growing more and more reliant upon his company. Not having him close by felt so wrong now.

It was almost strange to think of how far she and Lucas had come. Over the years, their relationship had been all over the place, but it made her so happy to know that they'd been able to form such a strong friendship. She didn't think many people could go from being a couple, to estranged, to friends, to a couple again, to slightly estranged, to once again friends and then to what she could only describe as best friend. Because that was truly Lucas had become to her these past few months— a best friend. She hadn't been this close to him since they were last a couple and even though she doubted they'd ever be together in that way again, it felt good to know that they'd always take care of each other. That, after all, was so much better than nothing.

"It's kind of weird not having Lucas here," Brooke said as she finished her food.

"Yeah, it is..."

Something came over Peyton at the mention of Lucas and, even though that wasn't entirely new, there was something about it that caught Brooke's attention. She hadn't exactly done a lot of talking since the attack, especially concerning the Lucas and Peyton drama, but she decided that something just wasn't right with Peyton and she needed to know what.

"Something's going on with you," Brooke stated simply.

Peyton looked down at her now empty plate. She didn't say anything for a few minutes, but after awhile, she just shook her head, a bitter laugh escaping her mouth.

"You wanna know something crazy?"

"Sure."

Peyton paused again before looking up at Brooke, clearly frustrated. "I kissed Lucas today."

Brooke leaned against the arm of the couch, crossing her arms. This was definitely a surprise. Lucas hadn't mentioned anything about a kiss when he come over to say goodbye earlier. A kiss was a pretty big deal and lately he'd been telling her everything when it came to his relationships, something she'd appreciated yet hated at the same time. After all these years, it was still hard to hear about his relationships with other girls, as much as she would never admit to anyone.

"Wow..."

Peyton nodded. "I know."

"So are you guys back together then?"

Brooke was pretty sure they weren't, since Peyton would've told her first thing and Lucas definitely would have said something, but she didn't know what else to say.

Peyton shook her head. "No. He said the spark we used to have was gone and that he couldn't imagine being with me again."

It was hard for Brooke not to feel bad for Peyton now, especially after all she had gone through the last few months concerning her relationship with Lucas. She'd done so much to prove to Lucas that she loved him and to have him shoot her down like that couldn't have been easy. She was trying to put on a brave face about this, but it was clear to Brooke that Lucas' rejection hurt her more than she wanted to admit.

"I'm so sorry, Peyton," Brooke said, pulling her into a brief hug.

She shrugged nonchalantly. "I really should have been expecting it. I mean, he's made it pretty clear over the last few months that he doesn't want me. I guess I was just expecting him to change his mind eventually and see things my way."

Brooke wasn't sure what to say to that. On one hand, she'd been thinking along the same lines of Peyton— that he'd come around eventually and he and Peyton would get back together in the end. But she'd also noticed that Lucas didn't seem at all interested in Peyton romantically anymore. At first she'd thought he was just angry with her for breaking up him and Lindsay, but over time his position hadn't wavered and he'd done nothing to prove to Brooke that he still thought Peyton was the one he was meant to be with.

"That doesn't make it any easier, though," she decided to say.

"I guess not," Peyton responded, laying on her back and resting her head on the pillow. She stared thoughtfully up at Brooke. "But I don't know...maybe this is all for the best."

"What do you mean?" Brooke asked, surprised. She hadn't expected Peyton to give in so easily.

"I mean maybe I'm not in love with Lucas anymore."

"Do really believe that?"

"Honestly, I don't know what to believe anymore. After I kissed him, he told me that there was no spark in the kiss, that he didn't feel the spark we used to have, and at first I thought he was crazy, but then I realized that he was right. There was nothing there anymore, except maybe some lust on my part. It was like we were two different people."

"Well, you are two different people now. A lot has changed since you were last together."

"You're right," Peyton said, nodding, "and I think that has a lot to do with it. We're definitely not eighteen anymore..."

She trailed off and Brooke was left wondering what else to say. She'd never been fond of discussing the relationship of Lucas and Peyton for obvious reasons, although she'd done her best to not give that away, and tonight was no different. When it came to her best friend and ex-boyfriend there was only so much she could say.

"I guess now I just have to figure out how I feel about him," Peyton continued. "Do I really love him or do I just love what we used to be? I'm not even sure what the answer to that is anymore..."

Brooke didn't know either, but she did know that things with Lucas and Peyton had taken a very interesting turn. So many people seemed to think Lucas and Peyton were meant to be and yet Lucas didn't believe that at all anymore and Peyton was now starting to question it too. That only left Brooke more confused than ever. The one thing that remained clear to her was that she just wanted her friends to be happy. If that meant it wasn't with each other, than she was fine with that. Actually, she was more than fine with that.

All she knew was that she wasn't going to get involved with it anymore. She'd let them both figure their relationship out on her own. There was no way she'd be pushing Peyton back to Lucas again. The reason behind that, however, wasn't just because she was tired of the drama between the two, but rather because she just didn't have the heart to do what she'd done in senior year all over again. It hadn't been easy sending Lucas off to Peyton and even though years had passed since then, she wasn't prepared to do it again. She was tired of being selfless. It sounded bad, but she truly was. Did that mean she wanted Lucas for herself? No. At least she didn't think so. All it meant was that she was staying out of it this time. She had too much else going on in her life.

And that was why instead of responding to Peyton, she simply let them fall back into a comfortable silence, leaving them both to their own thoughts.

**888**

Peyton had a lot of thinking to do today, but first she had to get something over with. It was something that she'd been putting off ever since Brooke's attack and she wasn't exactly looking forward to it. It needed to be done, though, because the issue who been pressing on her mind constantly, making it incredibly hard not feel guilty around Brooke.

So, instead of heading straight up to her office at Tric, Peyton decided to stop in the bar, where Owen was preparing for later that night. When he saw her appear, he set the glass he'd been holding down, his eyes focusing on her curiously. Obviously he wasn't expecting her to come around again, especially since it had now been five days since their drunken night together.

"Hey, Peyton."

She nodded, sitting down on a stool at the bar. "Hey."

"Haven't seen you around here for awhile," he said conversationally as leaned against the counter.

"I've been busy."

"Has everything been okay?"

She wasn't sure she liked how observant Owen was. It was incredibly annoying actually, but then again, it seemed as if half of a bartender's job was to be observant.

"Everything's fine," she replied briskly. "Look, about the other night..."

Owen cut her off. "Let's just forget it ever happened."

Peyton paused for a second. She didn't like that idea. It wasn't that she was interested in Owen romantically, because she definitely wasn't, it was more of the fact that it would be very wrong to keep this from Brooke. Whether Brooke still had feelings for Owen or not, Peyton had slept with her ex and it wasn't right to keep it from her.

"I can't," Peyton said, shaking her head. "What you and I did wasn't fair to Brooke."

"Brooke and I aren't together anymore," Owen said with a shrug, "so why should it matter?"

"Because it was _wrong_. Brooke's my best friend and I don't care if she still likes you or not— which, by the way, she doesn't— I just can't keep this from her."

Owen still didn't want to give up. "But what good will it bring by telling her?"

Peyton's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

"I mean if you want to tell her, fine. She'll hate me, but that's nothing new, so it won't really affect me at all. It will affect you, though, because there's a big chance she'll be angry with you too. And I think _that _matters a little more. Do you really want to start a fight with Brooke over a night that meant absolutely nothing?"

Of course she didn't, but it would make it ten times worse to keep this from her and then risk having her find out later. There was no way Peyton would be able to keep this from Brooke for too long. She wasn't her high school self anymore; the guilt would eat away at her if she kept something like this from her, no matter how little Owen meant to either of them.

"I'm not keeping this from her," Peyton said defiantly as she stood to leave.

For a moment, it seemed as if Owen was about to protest, but then he tried to look indifferent. "Fine, but it's your funeral."

She just rolled her eyes, heading towards the stairs that led to her office. Owen was a coward, plain and simple. He didn't care about how Brooke would treat Peyton after she told her, he only cared about the fact that Brooke would think even less than him after she found out, meaning that any chance he had left with Brooke would officially be gone.

In truth, Peyton knew that Brooke wouldn't be happy with her once she told her; she'd probably be pretty pissed at first, actually. But Peyton would have to suffer through it. She'd spent a lot of her days being a horrible friend to Brooke, but she wasn't going to do that anymore. Brooke's attack had made her realize just how amazing of a friend Brooke was to her and she wanted nothing more than to be that back to Brooke, even if it meant a temporary blow to their friendship. They'd recover; they were too close not to.

But she was still going to wait to tell Brooke. It would be too much for Peyton to unload this on to Brooke now, while she was still mending from her attack. So Peyton would wait a little while longer, but she _would _tell her. She wasn't exactly looking forward to it, but it simply had to be done.

**888**

"...So I really don't think it's in our best interest to do a tour. What do you think?"

Lucas listened in silence as Lindsay finished her long speech about why the company didn't want to send him on a book tour for his newest book, which, after being released only a few days earlier, wasn't doing as well as they thought. If she'd told him this a week ago, he would have been annoyed. He'd really enjoyed going on tour with his first book and had been looking forward to doing it for a second time. After Brooke's attack, however, he'd started to realize that his priorities were in Tree Hill and spending months away on tour wouldn't be the best thing right now.

"I'm fine with not doing a tour," he answered.

Lindsay was clearly surprised to hear this. "Really? Are you sure? Because I remember you loved the tour last time..."

"Yeah, well, I've got a lot of stuff going on at home right now and it's probably good that I stay there for the time being."

It was obvious that Lindsay was very curious to ask about what he'd just said, but instead she just nodded stiffly. For a moment they remained in an awkward silence.

Right from the start of their meeting, things between him and Lindsay had been tense and he couldn't blame anyone for that; she still wasn't over everything that had happened between them. He wasn't sure he was completely over it either and for that reason, things had been awkward between the two from the get go.

"So..." Lindsay began slowly and he was glad for the break in silence. "How arethings in Tree Hill, anyway?"

"Things are okay." He could tell by the way that she was looking at him that she was eager for more than just that. "It's been kind of crazy, recently," he continued, thinking of everything with Peyton and of course Brooke's attack.

"So have you and Peyton—."

"No, no," he said with a sigh, "there's nothing going on between us, nor do I plan on anything happening."

He knew Lindsay was just curious, but he didn't want her thinking that Peyton and him were anything more than friends. Lindsay had left him claiming that he was in love with Peyton, but the fact of the matter was that he wasn't and, even though Lindsay would probably rather have not left him in vain, he wouldn't let Lindsay continue to think that he was.

Lindsay sat back in her seat, her expression blank. "So if the craziness in Tree Hill doesn't have to do with Peyton, then what's going on?"

He was going to tell her that some of the craziness did in fact have to do with Peyton continually throwing herself at him, but decided to just leave Peyton out of the conversation. It wouldn't do them any good, anyway. He also wasn't sure if he should tell her about Brooke. Despite Brooke's fame, the attack had been kept under wraps and she didn't want anyone other than her close friends knowing about it. Lindsay had once been Brooke's friend, but he just didn't think it was in his place to tell her with Brooke's permission.

"It's just...it's Tree Hill, you know? There's always something crazy going on."

He could tell that Lindsay knew he was keeping something from her and he felt bad, especially since she'd grown to really love Tree Hill and everyone there. Looking down at the stacks of paper in front of her, she just nodded.

"Lindsay..." Seeing her looking so lost, he needed to let her know that he still cared for her. She looked up at him, her eyes narrowed. "You know I'm sorry about everything, right?"

"Of course," she replied quietly.

"Good, because not a day goes by that I'm don't think about how much pain I put you through..."

"Luke..."

"Listen," Lucas interrupted. He needed to say this."I just need you to know that you're an amazing girl. Honestly, I don't even deserve you. I've got too much baggage and you need a guy that's past isn't as screwed up as mine. And I've accepted that you and I aren't going to be together, but that doesn't change the fact that I truly was in love with you, not Peyton. I know that doesn't change anything and I'm okay with that, but I just thought you should now that you weren't just a roadblock for me and Peyton or anyone else. You and I were a love story of our own and even though we didn't get a happy ending, I'll still be able look back on us and smile at how happy we once made each other. And that'll be good enough for me."

By the time he was finished, Lindsay was smiling sadly at him. "Thank you, Lucas. That means a lot coming from you."

He simply nodded, smiling softly back at her. In a way this was a goodbye for them. They'd still see each other occasionally, but this was his way of telling her that he was going to start moving on, like she wanted him to. He wasn't sure when he'd come to the conclusion that he was done trying to get Lindsay back, especially considering the fact that he'd thought about calling her that night at the airport, but sometime during the last few days he'd realized that, even though he'd loved Lindsay once, he would be okay without her. They just weren't meant to be and he had finally accepted it.

"Okay," she said, still smiling as she stood up, "I think we're done here."

He stood up with her and followed her out of the office. She walked with him to the elevator and, as the the doors opened, she pulled him into a hug.

"You're a great guy, Lucas," she said into his ear, "don't doubt that for a moment. And whoever you end up with, she's going to be a lucky girl."

Then she pulled away from him, patting his shoulder, and took a step back. He just sent her a grateful smile. "Bye, Lindsay," he said, stepping into the elevator.

"Goodbye, Lucas."

And then the doors closed and the elevator descended, signaling the official end of his and Lindsay's romance. There was a small wave of sadness that came with the closure of their relationship, but he was also left feeling incredibly relieved. He could move on now and so could she.

Now, as he stepped out of the building and hailed a cab, all thoughts of Lindsay were left behind as he focused solely on his next destination.

**888**

It was becoming increasingly hard for Peyton to concentrate. She was in the studio, working with Haley on her newest album, but as thoughts twirled endlessly around her mind, it was becoming obvious even to Haley that her heart wasn't completely in her work right now.

"Okay." Haley stopped right in the middle of her song and Peyton looked up in surprise as Haley walked over to her. "What's going on?"

Peyton put on an innocent face. "I'm not sure what you mean..."

"Yeah, really," Haley said with a roll of her eyes. "Come on, I know something's bothering you and until you get it out there's no way you and I are going to accomplish anything here."

Haley was right, as always, but Peyton wasn't sure what to tell her. There were two things on her mind right now— the whole mess with Owen and, of course, the whole mess with Lucas. She didn't want to tell Haley about Owen, though, because Brooke deserved to know first, not to mention the fact that Haley would most definitely be angry with her if she found out.

Then there was the kiss with Lucas, which she was still trying to process. Over and over, she kept going through it in her mind and still it was hard for her to come to a proper conclusion about their relationship. On one hand, Lucas was right— there was no spark between them anymore— but on the other hand, it was almost painful to imagine giving up on him after all this time.

"It's Lucas, isn't it?" Haley said knowingly after Peyton failed to respond.

Peyton just shrugged and looked down at her hands. She wasn't exactly in the mood to talk about Lucas anymore, which was strange know that she thought about it because only a week ago Lucas had been her favorite topic of conversation.

"Come on, Peyton, you can talk to me."

Looking back up at Haley, she sent her a soft smile. "I know, Haley, and I'm sorry. It's just that things with Lucas have been crazy lately and it's just so draining."

Haley put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry, Peyton. I'm sure everything will work out eventually."

"Yeah..."

The thing was, she wasn't sure things between her and Lucas were going to work out anymore. For the first time since she returned to Tree Hill, her hope in reuniting with him had almost disappeared, if not vanished completely. He didn't want to be with her, it was as simple as that, and she was done trying to force herself on him.

"I kissed Lucas yesterday," she said, deciding to see what Haley's opinion would be on this whole situation.

"Oh." Haley's face was expressionless and for a few moments she didn't say anything. "Well, at least he's single this time."

"Yeah, that was probably a good thing," Peyton said, chuckling softly.

"So what exactly happened afterwards?" Haley asked. "Because I'm guessing it didn't involve any sort of reunion considering the fact that you're sitting here brooding like this."

"There was definitely no reunion," she replied with a bitter smile. "Basically, he _really_ doesn't want to be with me."

"Oh, Peyton..."

"No, it's okay," she interrupted, "I mean I couldn't expect him to wait for me after all these years, right? I think it was pretty conceited of me to think that he'd never move on. And he did move one and now I've just got to accept the fact that he and I are over. And you know what? I think I'm starting to. It took another kiss with Lucas to get me to realize that, but I really think I'm starting to get the picture. Now I'm finally starting to reevaluate my feelings for him.."

Haley was quiet again before she finally spoke. "You know I'm neutral when it comes to who Lucas ends up with because, honestly, I just want him to be happy. And I feel the same way about you. You're one of my best friends and more than anything, I want you to be happy too. So I'm not going to tell you to give up on him, because you never know with Lucas, but I think that it's good that you're starting to sort out your feelings for him. That way maybe you could start to finally move on..."

Peyton nodded slowly. She did want to move on, more than anything now that it seemed as if her chances with Lucas were slim to none. There was no use pining over him if she couldn't have him. She wanted to be with a guy who really wanted to be with her and it was obvious now that Lucas didn't want her. And, even if he did suddenly decide he wanted her again, she'd have to question whether he was just settling for her because he couldn't have someone else.

"Are you gonna be okay?" Haley broke through her thoughts.

She smiled. "Yeah, I'll be fine."

And she would. Tonight she was going to sit down and really figure out her feelings for Lucas. She wasn't going to let this drama go on between them much longer because, whether she liked it or not, it was finally time to move on.

* * *

**A/N: **I know that this chapter focused a lot on Peyton and I really am sorry about that, but there's still so much that needs to be dealt with when it comes to her and Lucas, as well as her other issues, so it was kind of necessary. But I'm sorry to those who aren't exactly fans of her. I know that it's so much harder to enjoy a chapter when she's such a major focus. Next chapter, there will still have a lot of Peyton, but I promise you that the chapter after that will have not only a lot more of Brooke, but a lot of good Brucas interaction too. Like I said in the first chapter's A/N, this story moves at a much slower pace than my others, but as long as you're patient, the waiting will pay off.

Actually, I tell you what, to reward you all for your patience, I'll give you a tiny spoiler for the story— in chapters 8/9 there will finally be some closure between Lucas and Peyton and that closure just might also push Lucas to start reevaluating his feelings for a certain someone... So that's a little something to look forward to, I think :D...

Thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter, and also thanks to everyone for reading or putting the story on alert! I wouldn't be writing this without you all, so thanks!


	7. Answers

**Answers**

Lucas really wasn't sure he should be doing this, but in his mind his trip to New York was for more than just to meet with Lindsay. He had another reason to be here and there was no backing out now. He needed answers, for Brooke's sake and for his own, and there was no way he could go home without them.

He stood frozen in place in front of a large black door. He'd been to this house before, during the night he'd spent with Brooke in New York after he found out his book was being published. It was odd to be back again under these circumstances. There was a small hint of nervousness that settled in his stomach as he stared down the door, but he couldn't let it get to him because he was going to need his confidence if this visit was going to go his way.

So, taking a deep breath, he rang the doorbell.

He wasn't expecting her to answer the door personally, but when it swung open Victoria Davis was standing there, clearly confused as she recognized his face.

"What are you doing here?" She wasn't speaking to him in the condescending way she normally did, but rather in a tired, uninterested tone.

"I think you know why I'm here."

"Actually, I'm not sure I do," she said, kinking an eyebrow in a way that undeniably reminded him of Brooke.

He just shook his head, not giving into the innocent front she was putting on.

"You do, Victoria."

"Fine," she conceded, "this is obviously about Brooke. If you must know, I have already been questioned and cleared by the police, so there is really no reason for you to be here as I obviously wasn't behind the attack."

"Brooke seems to think otherwise and so do I."

Victoria seemed surprised to hear this. "Does she seriously think I'd have someone attack her?"

"Obviously she does."

Victoria remained silent for a moment, her face unreadable. When she next spoke, her voice was soft. "I didn't send anyone to attack her."

There was something in the way she was speaking that led Lucas to believe there was more to her words than she was letting on and it took only a moment for him to decipher what it was.

"Okay," he said, "so you didn't send someone to attack her, but did you send someone to steal her designs?"

Anger flitted across Victoria's face at his accusation. "I was already rudely imposed upon by the police and I really don't need _you _questioning me now."

Before he could say another word, Victoria had turned around. But, just as the door was about to shut completely, he stopped it with his hand. Victoria whipped back around, glaring at him.

"I need to know who did it," he said, desperation in his voice. Now more than ever he was sure that Victoria was in someway involved with the attack. "You don't know what this attack did to her, Victoria. She's still completely shaken up. She hasn't come out of her house for days and she's still in pain from the bruises. And she's convinced you're behind it. I want you to prove her wrong right now. Give me something to really believe that you're innocent because I really do want you to be. I want to believe that a mother could never do this to her daughter, I really do, and I know Brooke wants to believe that too."

Victoria didn't say anything. She remained completely silent, arms crossed, as she stared Lucas down. There was a frown on her face and she looked more frustrated than angry, but Lucas wasn't going to back down. There was nothing Victoria had said or done so far that had convinced him she was innocent.

A full minute later, Victoria still hadn't made a move, so he decided to speak again, hoping that he could get some sort of reaction from her.

"You may have never meant for Brooke to be attacked, but I heard your conversation with her before you left Tree Hill. I know that you wanted her designs and that you weren't happy when she wouldn't let you see them. And I know that if you _did _get the designs, it would be possible for you to use them against Brooke and claim them as your own in front of the board of the company. So tell me right now that the fact that only Brooke's designs— the specific ones you wanted— were stolen from the store was a coincidence and maybe I'll leave you alone."

Still Victoria said nothing. He was beyond frustrated now. All he need was a simple confession and then he would finally be able to give both himself and Brooke some piece of mind.

"Victoria," he said, this time softly. If he was going to get anything from her, he would need to take a calmer approach. "Whatever you tell me will be confidential. I won't go to the police."

"I don't believe you," Victoria scoffed.

And now he was finally getting somewhere.

"I promise you I won't." He knew he couldn't officially make that promise since Brooke might say otherwise, but right now there was nothing else he could do. He knew without a doubt now that she was behind the attack in one way or another, but he needed her to confess it.

She didn't look completely convinced and, once again, another long pause passed between them. Then she did something he wasn't anticipating; she turned around, leaving the door wide open, and disappeared into the hallway. He stood there, frozen in place, confused.

When she came back a few moments later, she was holding something behind her back.

"I never meant for him to attack her," she said quietly and he couldn't believe how remorseful she sounded, not to mention the fact that he was finally getting a confession from her. "He did that of his own free will. Brooke wasn't supposed to be at the shop and he was never supposed to lay a hand on her. If I'd have known that he would, I'd have never sent him."

He didn't know what to say. He'd been so convinced that Victoria was at fault, yet he couldn't have prepared himself for the anger that he would feel when she actually did admit it.

"I've already taken care of him," she continued. "I made sure the moment I heard that he'd hurt her that he was properly punished for his actions."

She seemed remorseful, he couldn't deny that, and he could tell that she definitely didn't intend for any harm to come to Brooke, but that didn't change the fact that Victoria had purposefully sent someone to steal from Brooke. The fact that he'd done a little more than stealing was just icing on the cake.

He couldn't say anything else before she removed her hand from behind her back and held up the designs she'd stolen from her daughter. He was surprised when she handed them over to him. After all that trouble, was she really just going to give them back? It seemed so.

He took them hesitantly, his anger simmering down slightly. There was no point in blowing up at Victoria now. She was obviously aware of the pain her actions had caused.

"Give them back to her," Victoria said softly.

"I don't think they'll make her feel much better," he said with a frown.

"I know, but there's no way I could have used them after all the trouble I've caused, so she might as well have them back."

He looked down at the sketches in his hand, nodding slowly. "Okay."

As far as he was concerned, there was nothing else to say. He'd gotten the proof that he'd came there to get and now all there was left was to go home and give Brooke the news.

As he turned to leave, Victoria called him back. He looked back at her and her face was full of remorse and regret. He had to wonder, though, if she regretted the pain she caused her daughter or the fact that she had been caught.

"Will you tell her that I won't be bothering her about the company anymore? It's all hers."

He nodded again, but she wasn't finished.

"And will you..." she trailed off, looking down at the ground, and now he was sure that the guilt she was feeling was genuinely for Brooke and not herself. "Will you just tell her I'm sorry?"

"I'll tell her," he murmured.

She looked back up at him, nodding her head. "Thank you, Lucas."

He turned on his heel, making his way down to the street. He wasn't exactly looking forward to telling Brooke what he'd figured out. It would still hurt her to know for sure that her mother was behind the attack, no matter how sure she was of it in the first place. But he knew what it was like to feel abandoned and hurt by a parent and there was no way she could go through that alone. It was going to be tough, that was for sure, but he was going to be there for her.

**888**

That afternoon, Brooke was making herself a snack in the kitchen when there was a knock on her door. For once, she was the only one at the house and she was surprised to find that she didn't mind being alone. She was pretty sure, though, she knew who was at the door and she was excited at the thought of seeing them again.

"Hi guys," she said, surprisingly cheerful as she opened the door to greet Mouth and Millicent.

She didn't get an immediate response from either of them, though, and she realized that it was probably because they had yet to see the evidence her attack had left on her body. The couple stood there in shock, Mouth's eyes narrowing in anger and tears welling up in Millicent's eyes. By now, Brooke was used to this reaction. It's how pretty much everyone who'd come to see her had responded once they saw her black eyes and bruised arms. So all she could do was wait patiently for the two to come back to to their senses.

Millicent was the first to do so. "Oh, Brooke." She launched forward, pulling Brooke into a hug, only to pull away an instant later as her eyes widened in terror. "Oh my God, I didn't hurt you did I?" she asked as she eyed Brooke's bruises.

"I'm fine," Brooke assured her. Hugs didn't hurt too much anymore. She looked over at Mouth, who was shaking his head in disbelief.

"When Lucas told me about the attack...I never imagined it would be this bad."

She sent mouth a reassuring smile. "It's okay, Mouth."

He shook his head. "It's not. How could someone do this to you? It's just...it's unbelievable, Brooke. You of all people don't deserve this."

Brooke just put a hand on Mouth's shoulder. "I don't think anyone deserves this, but it happened and I've got to accept it and move on. That's what I'm trying to do now."

"Have you gone to the shop?" Millicent asked.

"Not yet, but I haven't left the house much since the attack."

This didn't make Mouth look any happier. Before he could say anything, though, she told them to come inside. They followed her in and sat down in the living room.

"Do you know who did it?" Mouth asked as he settled next to his girlfriend.

"The police don't have any leads, but I'm pretty sure I know who did it."

Millicent and Mouth looked at her in surprise. "Who?" Mouth asked.

"Victoria."

They both looked horrified at the thought and she couldn't blame them.

Millicent turned to Brooke seriously. "You don't think she'd do that, do you?"

"She'd do anything for power," Brooke said simply.

"But she's your mother," Millicent said in disbelief. "I mean she's horrible, but not _that _horrible. I just don't understand how could she do that to her own daughter."

"I don't either," Brooke replied. "I really don't..."

She'd never be able to understand why her mother did this to her. There was such a huge part of her hoping that her mother would prove her wrong and that she'd had absolutely nothing to do with her attack. Because no matter how much she hated her sometimes, Victoria was still her mother and she cared about her more than she'd ever admit. But if her mother was behind the attack she just didn't know if she could ever forgive her.

She wasn't sure when she'd be able to figure out if her mother was indeed behind the attack, but she had a feeling it would be soon. Lucas was in New York, after all, and she wouldn't put it past him to seek out her mother there, especially since he seemed just as determined to find out about Victoria as she did. There was no doubt in her mind that the answers to her questions would be revealed soon and she could only hope that her suspicions would be proved wrong.

**888**

Now that she sat down and really got a look at it, Peyton realized that her drawing on the River Court really _was _a bit too much. It was almost like she'd been trying to scare Lucas off. There was no doubt that the drawing wasn't beautiful, although as the artist she was obviously biased, but it wasn't exactly subtle and she started to wonder why she'd thought it could get a declaration of love out of him in the first place.

Leaning back along the benches, she allowed her gaze to land on the road, lit only by the street lights. The sun had set long ago and she knew she should be getting home to Brooke, but she needed to think. It was finally time for her to figure this whole situation out.

She found it sort of funny how she'd been in this same spot a week ago, drowning pitifully in her sorrows and wondering why Lucas just didn't want her. Now, though, she was wondering why she'd been so obsessed with him in the first place. Because she'd come to the conclusion that obsessed was really what she was when it came to Lucas. She was obsessed with their past and how great they'd been once. She was obsessed with the way he'd once made her feel— so safe and carefree— and trying to get that feeling back. And she was obsessed with trying to to get that all back.

So she was infatuated with Lucas, obviously, but did she love him too? She didn't know yet and she was scared to figure out the answer to that because if she admitted that she didn't, then she'd also be forced to admit that the past year she'd spent home in Tree Hill trying to win Lucas back had been useless. If, in fact, she wasn't in love with him, then she'd wasted the time she could have used to move on and maybe find someone who could love her the way she wanted to be loved. And that just made her angry because that was what she wanted. She wanted to be in love.

A part of her wondered if she and Lucas would even be good together anymore. Like she'd admitted to Brooke last night— they weren't eighteen anymore. So much had changed since they were last together and they couldn't deny that they were different people now. People with different priorities and different interests and dreams. Who was she to say that they were still perfect for each other?

When she decided to come back to Tree Hill, she thought it'd been for Lucas, but she knew now that she came back for love. And there was a distinct difference between love and Lucas. Once she'd arrived home, she hadn't been very open to the idea of loving anyone else, but she knew by now that that was a mistake. Because there were other guys out there that had the potential to love her too.

As a matter of fact, she knew that first hand because she'd fallen in love after Lucas, at least she thought she had. She smiled subconsciously at the thought of the person that had influenced her decision to return home. Julian. She'd loved him once. She was actually pretty sure she'd been in love with him. He was a great guy and everyday she was with him, she'd question how she could possibly deserve a guy like him. He was so sweet and so incredibly charming. In many ways, he reminded her of Lucas, which was probably one of the reasons she'd first been attracted to him, but when she got to know him well, she realized that Julian and Lucas were two very different people.

She didn't think very often of Julian anymore and it was probably because whenever she thought of him, she felt extremely guilty. He'd broken up with her because he thought she was still in love with Lucas and, at the time, she'd denied it, but after she let his words sink in she realized that he might have been right. That was why she'd decided to return home— because she needed to know if Julian was right.

Now, though, she knew he was wrong. She had still been holding on to memories of Lucas while she was with Julian, but she didn't think she was truly in love with him anymore. Now she wondered if subconsciously she was seeking closure with Lucas. Closure was something the two of them definitely hadn't had. Lucas had basically left her a CD on her pillow after she'd rejected his proposal and that had been that. Now that she thought about it, it had been a really horrible way to break up with a girl. How could he have possibly expected her to just move on after that?

But none of that really mattered anymore because her time with Lucas was over. She knew that now. All she had to do was make the choice to move on.

And she was making that choice right now.

Jumping off the bleachers, she walked to the middle of the court. Her drawing was starting to fade and she thought that that was appropriate for what she was going to do. And what she was going to do was officially end her one sided romantic relationship with Lucas. Tomorrow she would go see him and they would get the closure they needed and then she would sit back, relax, and wait for love to find her.

**888**

It seemed like the moment Millicent and Mouth had left, her door bell was ringing again. Brooke glanced at the clock. It was almost eight and after not getting much sleep last night, she was tired. But if she didn't answer the door, she knew whoever was there would probably freak out thinking that something was wrong with her, so she reluctantly stood up, walking slowly to the door.

When she opened it, she definitely wasn't expecting to see Lucas' mother standing in front of her.

"Karen!"

Karen's bags slipped from her fingers as she pulled Brooke into a tight hug. Brooke couldn't have been more surprised to see her. She'd talked to Karen on the phone a lot lately, especially after the attack, but Karen had never mentioned coming to see her. She was on the other end of the world, after all.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, smiling widely as she finally got over the shock.

"I just felt like I needed to be here for you," Karen said, looking Brooke up and down. "Look at you, poor thing..."

"The bruises are a lot better than they were a few days ago actually."

Karen gently grazed Brooke's bruised face with her hand and shook her head. "Then I'm glad I wasn't here to see the worst of it because I really don't know how I would've handled it."

"Come on," Brooke said softly, pulling Karen inside.

"How are you doing, Brooke?" Karen asked as she sat down on the couch.

Brooke sat next to her. "I'm doing good. _Really_," she added as Karen didn't look completely convinced. "I'm gonna be okay."

Nodding slowly, she put an arm around Brooke. "I know you will. You're a very strong girl, Brooke. One of the strongest people I know, actually. If this had happened to anyone else, they'd have been a complete wreck."

"I'm lucky, though, because I've had so many people here for me. Nathan and Haley have been so great and Peyton's been here around the clock and Lucas... he's just been absolutely amazing. And now Mouth and Millie are here and you too... I just know that if I didn't have any of you guys, there's no way I would have been able to get through this and still be me, you know? If I'd pushed everyone away, I think I'd be setting myself up for disaster."

"Well, I'm glad you decided not to do that, then, because everyone single one of us wants to be there for you. When Lucas told me what happened, I was ready to book a ticket home right then and there, but then he told me I should wait a little while because you were still really overwhelmed. But talking to you the last few days and learning that your mother might be behind the attack, I just couldn't stay away anymore."

"I'm glad you decided to come."

"You're like a daughter to me, Brooke," Karen said, putting a hand over hers. "You really are. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else but here, taking care of you."

There were tears in her eyes, but she was just completely overwhelmed by Karen's words. It meant the world to her to know that this woman cared so much about her. And to hear that she was like a daughter to her— that meant the most to her. Because now more than ever all she needed was a mom.

* * *

**A/N: **I really should have been focusing on Awakening this weekend, but I was much more motivated to work on this, so I did. The next chapter of Awakening will be up in a few days, though. I also wanted to get this chapter done so I could move you all closer to the next one, which I think is going to be really good and, like I told you last chapter, is going to have a lot of Brucas... I kind of feel like this chapter was all over the place and wasn't my best work, but I really hope you all liked it anyway.

Thanks for reading and please remember to review!!!


	8. Betrayed

**Betrayed**

It was getting late and Brooke really should have been sleeping, but these days sleep didn't come easy for her. It was as if her mind was most energetic at night; all of her thoughts rolled into one and took over her body, keeping her brain running and running with endless thoughts and emotions and, of course, keeping her from the wonderful resting place that sleep took her. This had always been a problem for Brooke, but now, after what had happened last week, her brain had been particularly active. Now she had a headache and all she wanted to do was sleep, but her brain had other ideas and that meant that she was going to be lying in her bed awake for a little while longer and, unfortunately for her, all she could do was accept that.

So she did what she'd grown accustomed to doing these last few nights. She flipped onto her back, opened her eyes and stared up at the dark ceiling. It was ironic that she tended to grow sleepier when her eyes were opened rather than closed, but it was what worked for her and she was willing to do anything to get some sleep.

Breathing in out and slowly, she counted each of her breaths— this was another thing she'd being doing lately in order to keep her mind from wandering into dangerous territory. For the most part it had helped, but sometimes it just made it even harder not to think of those thoughts that she'd rather stay away from. Tonight, though, she was having better luck.

As the minutes passed, her breathes grew slower and slower, her eyelids drooping until they shut completely. Her eyes popped open again, though, when she heard a car door slamming outside. It was probably Peyton, who still hadn't been home when she'd gone to bed, but that didn't keep her heart from pounding rapidly in her chest as she sprung up from the bed. She'd been very jumpy lately and it didn't take a lot to do it to her.

When she looked at the clock, she found that it was only ten-thirty. It felt like she'd been lying in bed for hours, when in reality she'd only been there for less than an hour and a half. She was tempted to go downstairs to the guest room and see if Karen was still up, but decided against it. After all, Karen had just traveled half-way across the world and was probably exhausted. As her heart slowed back to a normal pace, she laid back down, stared at the ceiling, and started to count. It looked like she was back to square one.

The counting had lasted literally three seconds before her door opened. She sat up again, her eyes narrowing as she tried to decipher the dark figure standing in the doorway. Then she got a better view as the person took a step forward and she immediately relaxed.

"Lucas..."

She hadn't been expecting him to show up tonight. He had to have just gotten back from New York less than an hour ago and she thought he would come to see her in the morning. But she was glad he was here because, even though he'd only been gone a couple of days, she'd missed him.

He took another step towards her bed and, as the moonlight shining through the window hit him, she noticed for the first time the object he held in his hands. Lucas was looking at her, his eyes gentle, as he held onto her designs— her _stolen _designs.

And that was when she knew. And she was angry. More than angry— she was absolutely infuriated.

"I'm sorry to come so late," he murmured, "but I needed to tell you and I just couldn't put it off until tomorrow...I went to see your mom, Brooke, and she gave me these."

He held the designs out to her, but she made no move to take them. She just stared darkly at them, at a loss for words. There were so many emotions swirling around her mind, making it impossible for her to think of just one thing to say.

"She didn't mean for him to attack you, she just wanted him to steal the designs, but he took matters into his own hands. But she told me to tell you that she was sorry and that she would be staying away from the company from here on out."

Brooke didn't care. She just didn't. It didn't matter that her mother hadn't _meant _for her to be attacked; Victoria had still sent a man to _steal _from her— probably so that she could steal the company from her too— and that was just unacceptable. Brooke didn't care that she was sorry either. It was too late for that and she could apologize all she wanted, but it would change the fact that she'd done what she did. It just wouldn't.

She hated the tears that started welling up in her eyes because they signaled the pain that this was causing her and she really didn't want Lucas to see it. But at this point, he was probably used to seeing her so completely vulnerable like this. He even told her not long ago that he thought it was actually kind of beautiful. And so she let the tears fall, knowing that Lucas didn't mind. He wanted to be there for her and she would let him.

He immediately enveloped her into his arms and she dug her face into his chest. The tears kept on coming and she was pretty sure that his shirt would soon be soaked, but Lucas didn't seem to care; he just let her cry, rubbing her back soothingly.

She didn't think she'd ever been angrier than she was now. Brooke had suspected that her mother had been involved the moment she saw that her designs were missing, but that didn't make this any easier. Which was also why she was confused. How could Victoria possibly send someone to steal from her and attack her? It didn't make any sense and it probably never would. And this confusion led to the overwhelming sadness that washed over her. Because her mother had intentionally hurt her, all for a few pieces of paper. Obviously her company meant more to Victoria than she ever would. That thought just made her cry harder.

Then, as the tears continued to flow, the betrayal hit her. Cold, hard betrayal, right from her own mother, the person who had brought her into this world, who was supposed to love her unconditionally. And nothing hurt more than that.

She didn't even know how long she'd been crying when she finally found the strength to lift her head back up. Lucas looked down at her, his eyes shining with concern as he lifted a hand to wipe the tears from her face.

"I hate her."

That was the only thing she could think to say, but it was true. It almost felt wrong to hold so much hatred for a person, especially when that person was her mother, but as her eyes fell back down to the designs that Lucas had dropped onto the bed, it was all she could feel. She couldn't even believe that her mother had the nerve to give the designs back to her. Did Victoria think that giving them back would magically erase everything? If she did, then she was sorely mistaken.

"She could've at least kept them," Brooke spat out. "That way she could have gotten _some_ benefit from my attack. But instead she got nothing. I was attacked for _nothing._"

Lucas' arms circled around her again and the tears continued to fall.

"I'm sorry," he murmured into her ear.

One of his hands still ran up and down her back while the other cupped the back of her head, holding her body close to his as she cried into his chest. And then, in his arms, as the anger started to simmer down and the pure anguish took over, she felt safe and, most of all, she felt loved. And it was this that numbed her pain just enough to stop her tears and allow her to lay back on the bed and close her eyes.

If she'd been tired before, then she was completely exhausted— both physically and mentally— now. She couldn't take any of this anymore. She just needed to sleep.

As her breathing slowed and the tears dried to her face, she felt Lucas lie next to her. She turned her head to look at him. He was laying on his side, staring at her intently as her eyes met his. His hand reached over to her, resting on her stomach, and she put her hand over his.

They didn't say anything. Instead, they held each others' gazes, the comfort she desired coming simply from the way he looked at her. And that was enough for her.

Then, minutes later, their eyes finally left each other as she shifted her position and laid on her side. His body spooned hers and he wrapped his arms around her middle, both his hands latching onto hers. As she listened to his breathing, her eyelids started to droop and, in the safety of his arms, sleep finally found her.

**888**

It wasn't until she arrived home that night that Peyton realized how much she'd lost track of time. When she'd arrived at the Rivercourt earlier, it hadn't been later than nine-thirty, but when she pulled into her driveway, it was almost midnight.

She was more than surprised to see Lucas' car parked along the sidewalk. She hadn't been sure when he was getting back from New York, but she definitely hadn't thought he'd be coming by the house tonight. And the fact that he was still at the house at such a late time was sort of odd. Walking slowly up the porch, she quietly opened the door, peeking her head inside. All of the lights were off and there was no sign of Brooke or Lucas anywhere.

In a way, Peyton was sort of excited to see Lucas. She was eager to tell him that she was ready to start moving on, that she wouldn't pursue him anymore, and that she was pretty sure that she was no longer in love with him. He would be relieved, no doubt, but she just wanted to finally get the overdue closure they needed.

She treaded up the stairs, trying her best to stay as quiet as possible. She'd noticed that the guest room downstairs had been closed, so she was pretty sure that Lucas was in there. On her way to her bedroom, though, she noticed that Brooke's door was open. Feeling the urge to check on her best friend, she poked her head inside.

That was where she found Lucas, laying on Brooke's bed with his back to the door, and, when Peyton inched forward, she saw Brooke laying right next to him, his arms wrapped securely around her as her back rested against his chest. She couldn't see either of their faces, but she was sure that they were both sleeping.

For a moment, Peyton just stood there, taking in the view in front of her. No one could deny that over that last few months, her best friend and ex-boyfriend had grown close. Lucas had been there for Brooke when she had Angie, and Brooke, in turn, had been there for Lucas while he grieved over his lost relationship with Lindsay. Peyton had watched quietly as their friendship blossomed into something closer than they'd ever been, but she'd never really felt threated by Brooke. For some reason, she just hadn't counted Brooke as competition.

Now she realized how foolish she'd been because, after all this time, Brooke _had _become competition, even if she hadn't meant to be. While Peyton had been busy forcing her feelings onto Lucas while he suffered through a hard breakup, Brooke had simply been his friend. She didn't ask for anything more than that and neither did he. And Peyton realized now that a friend was what Lucas had needed most. She was also pretty sure that, at some point, Lucas and Brooke's friendship had transformed into something much more. Because the way that Lucas was holding Brooke right now was so intimate that it would be hard for any stranger to believe they were just friends.

Now that she thought about it, Lucas and Brooke had always had the hardest time being just friends. That was probably why he and Brooke barely hung out after he and Peyton got together senior year. And now he and Brooke were friends again and, by the way things were going, it seemed inevitable that their friendship would soon evolve, once again, into a relationship. The funny thing, though, was that Peyton didn't even mind.

A week ago, she would have absolutely hated the thought of Lucas and Brooke as more than friends, but now, although she was still shaken by this new revelation, she just wanted them to be happy, whether it be as friends or more. She knew that it would take some time before she completely moved on from Lucas and before she was really okay with him being with someone else, but eventually she would be. And she'd be happy for the two of them when it happened— and by now she knew it would.

With that thought, she turned around, very quietly shutting the door behind her and, as she walked to her own room, she couldn't help but be proud at how much progress she'd made in the past week. Tonight signaled a new beginning for her and she couldn't be happier to get a start on it.

**888**

When Lucas woke up the next morning, he was surprised to see that it was almost ten. Slowly, he sat up from his position on Brooke's bed, leaning his back against the headboard. He involuntarily smiled as his eyes landed on Brooke's sleeping form. He didn't think she'd slept this much since the attack and he was happy that she was finally getting more than a few hours, especially after their tough night.

He hoped that the news about Victoria wouldn't keep Brooke down. She'd been heartbroken last night. In a way, he'd been expecting her reaction, but he'd be lying if he said it wasn't hard seeing Brooke so hurt. He'd just been glad he could be there for her and that she didn't push him away.

Brooke shifted around and for a moment he thought she was waking up, but then she settled on her side facing him, her eyes still closed. He moved his hand to her peaceful face, smiling as he gently ran his thumb up and down her smooth cheek.

He could resist leaning down to place a kiss on her forehead before he quietly got out of bed and made his way out of the bedroom. He would've liked staying with her in bed for the rest of the morning, but he was hungry and she probably would be too when she woke up, so he decided to start breakfast for them.

When he arrived at the bottom of the stairs, though, someone was already making breakfast. His eyes narrowed as he tried to decipher if he was really seeing who he thought he was seeing.

"Mom?"

She whipped around at the sound of his voice. Yes, that was definitely his mother. He could barely register her appearance before she was heading his way.

"Oh, Lucas," Karen said, pulling him into a tight hug, "it's so good to see you."

"You too," he replied, smiling widely as she finally let him go. He couldn't believe she was here, standing right in front of him. He hadn't seen her in months and he definitely hadn't heard that she was making plans to come home. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see Brooke," Karen said and she lightly grabbed his arm, pulling him over to the kitchen table. "Breakfast is almost ready, so have a seat. Is Brooke still asleep?"

"Yeah, but she'll be up soon. When did you get in, Mom? Does Brooke know you're here?"

"I got in last night and yes, Brooke knows I'm here. We had a nice talk last night."

He nodded slowly, watching in silence as his mom stood at the counter, chopping up fruit. She was going all out for them and he was glad; it had been awhile since he'd had one of his mom's home cooked meals.

"So I'm guessing you got in from New York late last night," his mom said thoughtfully. "How come you came here instead of home?"

"I just needed to be with Brooke..."

Karen looked at him, eyebrows raised, and he realized that his words sounded much more intimate than what he meant.

"I went to see her mother while I was in New York," he tried to explain, "and Victoria admitted that she was behind the attack. So I just felt like I needed to tell Brooke right away."

His mother's eyes were widened in horror as he finished and he knew she was trying to figure out how a mother could possibly do that to her child. Before either of them could say anything else, Peyton appeared at the bottom of the stairs.

A smile lit up her face at the sight of Lucas' mother. "Karen? Oh my God, what are you doing here?"

Karen relaxed a little at the sight of Peyton and she pulled her into a hug. "I just wanted to come check up on Brooke," she said, smiling sweetly at his ex-girlfriend. For a second, Lucas found it strange how his mother maintained such good relationships with his exes, but he was glad for that too, because now both Brooke and Peyton were two of his very good friends.

"That's great," Peyton said excitedly and Karen motioned for her to sit next to Lucas. "She could really use a mom right now."

"Now more than ever," Karen murmured, her expression grim as she remembered what Lucas had just told her.

"So I'm guessing you know that Victoria is probably behind the attack, right?"

"Not just _probably_," Lucas interrupted, "Victoria _is _behind the attack. I talked to her yesterday and managed to get a confession out of her. She even gave me back the designs she stole."

Peyton's reaction was very similar to Karen's earlier one, except she also let out a string of curse words dedicated to Brooke's mother that made his own mother cringe.

"You told Brooke last night?" Peyton asked after she calmed down.

"Yes."

"And how did she react?"

"It was really tough for her," he said slowly. "She might have been expecting it, but that didn't make it easier to actually hear it confirmed."

"I'm sure that, no matter what she was expecting, she was hoping that there was some way her mother wasn't involved," Karen said. "No one could ever want to believe that their parent could do something so horrible to them."

Lucas and Peyton both nodded in agreement, lapsing into silence as they fell into their own thoughts. All he knew right now was that he was extremely thankful for his mother's great timing. Brooke still had a little while to go before she could truly heal and, now that Victoria's involvement in her attack was confirmed, she was going to need Karen's extra support. His mother could take care of her in a way that no one else could— she could be the mom that Brooke had never really had and for that, Lucas was more than grateful.

As Karen moved back to the kitchen to finish cooking, his gaze landed on Peyton. She looked lost in thought, but, judging by the way her eyes had fallen to the table in a troubled sort of way, she was probably still thinking about Victoria. It was then that he was reminded of the kiss they shared two days before. He wondered if she'd done much thinking about it. Knowing her, she had. He just hoped there wouldn't be any awkwardness between them now.

As if she read his mind, Peyton's eyes met his and a new look came over her face. It wasn't the same look she'd been wearing lately whenever she looked at him— that look of lust, confusion and sadness— but rather something he could describe only as a quiet determination. That could either be a good thing or a bad thing.

"Lucas, do you think we can talk for a second?"

He nodded shortly, telling his mom that they'd be back soon and then standing up to follow her onto the porch outside.

"I'm not gonna kiss you," she said, sending him a grin as he shut the door.

He knew she was teasing him, but he couldn't help but feel relieved.

"Good to know."

Leaning against the porch railing, she wrapped her arms around herself, protecting herself from the cold morning breeze.

"I'm sorry about the other day, Luke. It was wrong of me to force myself on you."

"It's okay."

"No, it isn't. I shouldn't have kissed you. I didn't have that right.... Listen, I've been doing a lot of thinking the last couple days and I've come to some conclusions..."

This was definitely going to be interesting. He just hoped she hadn't come to the _wrong _conclusion. She paused for a moment and he waited silently for her to continue.

"Do you think we ever got any closure," she finally asked him.

He wasn't expecting that question, but it was an easy one to answer.

"Not really, no."

Peyton nodded. "I don't think so either." She paused again, gathering her thoughts. "When you left me in that hotel room that night, I think a part of me never left. And I've been clinging to the hope that you'd come back to me and we could pick up right where we left off before you proposed, happy and in love with so much potential, but we can't. Because you made the choice to leave me in that hotel room. You made the choice to move on, but I...I didn't. I tried to, but until I could know for sure that you and I could never go back to what we once were, it was impossible. So I came home, hoping that you'd still want me, that we could be together again. But, like I said, you'd moved on and you didn't look back."

"Peyton..." He still wasn't sure where she was going with this.

"We're different people now, Luke," she interrupted. "You're not the same guy from that hotel room and I'm not that same girl. So it's time for me to walk out of that hotel room and leave us behind and to accept that you and I just don't work together anymore. "

He'd be lying if he said that he was expecting her to tell him this. He'd only been gone two days and, if Peyton really meant what she was saying, then she'd made a lot of progress since then. But he wasn't going to argue with her, not when she was finally understanding what he'd been trying to tell her all along.

"Do you mean that?"

"Yeah," she said, a small smile on her face, "I do. I'm ready to move on, Lucas."

"That's good, Peyton," he said, moving to stand next to her. "You know, I really am sorry about the way I've been treating you lately. I was pushing you away and I'm sorry for that. It's just that I knew how you felt for me and it's kind of tough when I don't feel the same way."

"I know and it's okay, trust me. I shouldn't have put you in that position anyway."

"Well, it's all in the past now, so there's no reason to dwell on it." He walked back to the door. "What do you say we go inside and eat up my mom's food?"

"I say that sounds great."

He was about to open the door when she called him back. He turned to look at her curiously.

"What's up?"

She looked slightly nervous. "I was just wondering, and I'm really sorry if this is too personal and you don't have to answer, but..." She trailed off for a few moments and his curiosity grew. "Do you still have feelings for Brooke?"

That was definitely not what he'd been expecting to hear. He really had no clue what to say because, in all honesty, he didn't know the answer. Until the night at the airport last week, he'd tried his best to keep all thoughts of Brooke as anything other than a friend out of his mind. Brooke obviously had no romantic interest in him and so there just wasn't any possibility of something more. Did that mean he didn't want anything more with her? He had no clue. It had been years since they were last together and it was strange to imagine being with her again.

When he didn't answer, Peyton took that as a sign to speak. "I'm sorry, Luke. I shouldn't have asked that. I just...I saw you in Brooke's room last night and it just seemed like there's more to your relationship than just friendship."

"I don't know how I feel about her, Peyton," he finally answered. "She's my friend and I love her as one, but I don't know how I feel beyond that."

"I know," Peyton said, smiling sympathetically at him, "and again, I'm sorry for asking, I was just really curious. I mean, Lucas, the way you act around her, the way you talk to her, even the way you look at her...it's like we're back in junior year when you were first falling in love with her."

He'd really never thought about that before. In a way, his growing friendship with Brooke reminded him of the time that Peyton just mentioned, when he and Brooke became great friends and, during that time, fell in love. But he'd never anticipated that this situation would go down the same route. He still wasn't sure how he felt about her and he definitely didn't know if he was in love with her.

Peyton slipped past him, her hand on the doorknob, but turned to look at him one last time.

"I want you to know that I'm okay if you do want to be with her. I don't think there's anyone else on this earth that could take better care of her than you."

Peyton really was surprising him today and, once again, he was left speechless.

"Anyway," she opened the door, "It looks like the food's done, so I'm gonna head inside."

He just nodded, his mind now full of questions that he was eager to answer. Now he was confused. Extremely confused. And he doubted he'd stop being confused until he figured out exactly how he felt about Brooke.

**888**

Lucas was no longer lying next to her when Brooke woke up and for a moment she felt a wave of emptiness without him there. She propped herself up on her elbow, getting a good look at the clock on her dresser, and was surprised to see she'd slept so late. It had been a long time since she slept in like this.

Memories from last night came flooding back to her and it was hard not to let what her mother had done get to her. But she'd done her grieving last night. She wouldn't cry over this anymore. She was tired of crying, anyway; she'd done enough of it this past week to last her a lifetime.

The smell of bacon immediately caught her attention and a smile came to her face as she realized that Karen was probably making them all breakfast. The thought of sharing a meal with Lucas, Karen, and hopefully Peyton too, managed to temporarily wipe away the anger she was feeling for Victoria. For now, she would focus on her friends— her real family.

She was about to get up from bed and head downstairs, when Karen poked her head into the room.

"Good, you're up. I've made breakfast if you're interested."

"Oh, I am," Brooke replied with a grin. "It's been years since I've tasted your cooking."

Karen sent her a smile, walking into the room and sitting down next to Brooke on the bed. "Before you come down, I just wanted to see how you were doing. Lucas told me that he talked to your mom."

Her mood darkened at the mention of her mother, but she tried to stay indifferent.

"I'm okay."

"Are you sure? I know you suspected her, but it still can't be easy."

"No, it isn't easy, but I'm going to be fine. Besides, it'll be nice to have my mother out of my life once and for all."

Karen cocked her head to the side sympathetically. "Do you really mean that?"

Right now she did. She and her mother had never been close and, although she'd actually been excited to work with her mother when she'd first started her company, Clothes Over Bros only seemed to deteriorate their already rocky relationship. Victoria had become power hungry and, in the end, that had been their downfall.

But would she always mean that? She honestly didn't know. And that was what she told Karen.

"I don't know..."

The truth was, she felt abandoned by her parents. They'd never made an effort to really be good parents to her, but she'd still loved them despite that. Now, she felt like she barely knew her father, and her mother had betrayed her in the worst possible way.

"I feel like an orphan now," she said and she tried so hard to keep the tears from falling. "I barely talk to my dad and now I feel like I don't even have a mother..."

She didn't mean to start crying again, but, as Karen pulled her into a bone crushing hug, it was impossible to keep the tears from escaping.

Karen spoke gently into her ear, "I told you last night that you're like a daughter to me and I meant that. So you've got a mom, Brooke; you've got me."

And the water works continued, but now her tears were not of grief, but of happiness.

"Thank you."

It was all Brooke could manage to stutter out now that the tears had taken over once again. Karen pulled away from her, her hands still on Brooke's shoulders, and there were tears falling down her cheeks too.

"Is everything okay?"

At the sound of a new voice, she glanced over at the doorway where Lucas was standing, his eyes full of concern as he stared at both of their crying forms. Karen nodded, beckoning him over to them. He sat down next to his mom and Karen put an arm around his shoulder, pulling him close to her. Lucas smiled uncertainly at his mother before his eyes latched on to Brooke's.

He didn't ask anything else, he just reached across Karen and put a hand on Brooke's, stringing his fingers through hers. His thumb gently grazed her knuckles. She was still crying, but she managed to smile through it as she looked at him. There was something in his gaze that always managed to captivate her.

It was only when Karen stood up, that she remembered that Lucas' mother had been sitting right between them. Regrettably, she forced her eyes away from his and looked up at Karen, whose tears had now dried. She wore the biggest smile as she she looked down at both of them.

"What do you say we all head downstairs for some breakfast?"

They both smiled and Lucas still held Brooke's hand as they rose from the bed and followed Karen out of the bedroom.

"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked her quietly as they walked down the stairs.

That was always a complicated question and she supposed that after last night, it should have been harder for her to answer, but now, with Lucas by her side and with Karen's extra support, there was no way she could _not _be okay.

So she squeezed his hand reassuringly, sending him a small smile. "I am now."

* * *

**A/N: **I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Next chapter is going to introduce some new storylines and the story will start focusing a little less on the attack and more on other storylines (although I won't forget about the attack because obviously Brooke's still got a lot of stuff, including Victoria, to deal with). But Peyton is going to start moving on and Lucas is starting to realize how he feels for Brooke and soon Brooke will start dealing with her own feelings for Lucas...so it should be interesting :D.

Thanks to everyone for reading and please remember to review!


	9. Mending

**Mending**

A week had passed since Lucas returned home from New York and, in that week, a lot had changed. While Brooke was still recovering from her attack, as well as the confirmation of her mother's involvement in it, she was starting to move forward with her life. She still didn't like talking about what had happened with Victoria, but she seemed to be coming to terms with it. She hadn't turned Victoria into the police either, claiming that losing her daughter was punishment enough.

Beyond Victoria, though, Brooke was doing better than ever. She'd surprised Lucas last week when she'd decided to go to her store for the morning and, even though it hadn't been easy for her emotionally, she'd returned home feeling better than ever. Then, just a few days ago, she'd gone to see Jamie. Her bruises were fading nicely and because of that, she'd decided that she was ready to see her godson. She missed him too much and Lucas knew for a fact that Jamie felt the same way.

A part of him had been worried that Brooke was moving too fast— that she still needed more time to properly heal before she went out and faced the world again — but he knew that going to her store and seeing Jamie was Brooke's way of healing and that eased his anxiety for her.

And tonight she was taking an even bigger step— for the first time since she'd been attacked she was going out with all her friends. They were all going to watch Nathan play slamball, something that Lucas was quite curious to see, although he was even more curious to see how Brooke would handle the situation. She'd be fine, he knew, especially since she was making so much progress, but he still couldn't help but be nervous for her. She could pretend all she wanted that she was perfectly fine, but the fact of the matter was that she still wasn't and he didn't want her to risk a setback by doing something she wasn't ready for.

"Are you okay, honey?"

Lucas glanced over at his mother, who was sitting in the passenger's seat as he drove them both to pick Brooke and Peyton up for the game.

"I'm fine..."

"You look worried."

"Yeah, I guess I am," he said with a sigh. "I'm just not sure that Brooke's not ready for this."

"I know, but I really think you should put more faith in her. She knows herself better than anyone and if she wasn't ready for this, then she wouldn't do it."

"You're probably right..."

They drifted off into a comfortable silence as Lucas focused on the road. His mom put a comforting hand on his shoulder and he sent her a grateful glance. Karen had been more than amazing this past week and no one wanted to see her leave tomorrow. She promised them all that she'd return soon, probably permanently, with Lily and Andy, but that didn't make her impending departure much easier. Lucas truly believed that Karen had been Brooke's saving grace during this time. She'd been the mother that Brooke never had and that was something that never ceased to amaze Lucas. The way she had simply taken Brooke under her wing, treating her like her own flesh and blood, had been more than enough to lift Brooke's spirits and help her move forward. Now, Lucas wasn't sure what they'd do without Karen.

"So," Karen said, breaking the silence, "I've been meaning to ask you this past week about what was going on between you and Lindsay, but with everything with Brooke I haven't really had the time."

He just shrugged. "Lindsay and I are over, Mom. There's nothing more to it. We talked when I went to New York and everything's good between us."

"That's good...and what about Peyton?"

He chuckled at his mother's prodding. "And to think I thought we'd go your whole visit without the discussion of my love life."

"Sorry, but I've gone a whole week keeping my mouth shut, so I'd say it's about time you give me some answers."

She was right and it wasn't like he wasn't expecting her to bring it up at one point, it was just that his current love life wasn't exactly something he was fond of talking about.

"Peyton and I are over too."

"But does Peyton know that?"

"She does," he said, nodding, "and I think she's finally accepted it. We had a good talk last week and we got the closure we needed. I think now we're just going to work on getting back he friendship we used to have."

"Well, that's definitely good to hear. I know that things between the two of you have been complicated to say the least, so it's good that you two are going to try to be friends again."

"Yeah, it is...I'm happy with the way things turned out."

Karen nodded slowly and for a moment Lucas thought his mother was finished with this discussion, but then she opened her mouth again and he was already sure what she was going to ask.

"And how about Br—."

"Mom, please."

"Lucas," Karen said, looking sternly at him, "this is the one question that I've been dying to ask you, so you'd better let me get it out."

He let out an exaggerated sigh, shaking his head in annoyance, but let his mother continue. "Fine."

"Thank you. So, as I was saying, you've told me that things with you and Lindsay and Peyton are over, but what about Brooke?"

"What about her? We haven't been together in five years, Mom. There's really nothing there."

Ever since Peyton had asked him about his feelings for Brooke, he'd been continuously trying to deny them, but, in truth, he was still clueless about his real feelings for her. Sure, he'd been spending every day at her house and even almost every night as well, and maybe he he would sometimes find himself attracted to her in a less than friendly way, but that didn't mean he wanted to be with her or that he was in love with her.

He'd be lying, though, if he said he'd never had the fleeting thought of what it would be like to be Brooke's boyfriend again, but those thoughts were few and far in between, mostly because he just wouldn't allow himself to think about her in that way anymore. Because there was a part of him, no matter how much he wanted to hide it, that still yearned to be with her again, that wondered how he could be with anyone but Brooke...and that scared him like crazy.

"Actions speak louder than words," his mom continued.

He turned to her, eyes narrowed. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Karen smiled sympathetically at him. "You know what it means. I've seen how you and Brooke have been interacting. You two are closer than I've ever seen you and that's saying a lot, Lucas. Whatever is going on between you two...well, it's obviously stronger than just friendship."

"You do know it's possible for me to be just friends with a girl, right?"

"I know, but let's face it, you and Brooke never did well as just friends."

He shook his head in frustration, staring intently at the road in front of him. This conversation was too draining right now. He was struggling enough with his feelings as it was; he didn't need his mother or Peyton or anyone else pushing him over the edge. If he had feelings for Brooke, he'd figure it out on his own. It wasn't anyone else's business. Not now at least.

"We're gonna be at Brooke's any minute so can we please not talk about this anymore?"

He heard his mother sigh softly next to him and then her hand was on his shoulder again.

"I'm sorry for prying. I was just was curious to see where you stand."

"It's okay," he said resignedly. "To be honest...I'm confused. I don't know how I feel about her anymore. But I don't want to deal with that tonight, okay? I just want to have a nice, relaxing night out with my family."

"Alright, we're done with the romance talk for the rest of the night, I promise."

He smiled in relief. "Thanks, Mom."

By now, they were at Brooke's house. They both got out of the car and together they made their way to the front door. He pulled out the key Brooke had given him only a week ago and slid it into the lock. His mother just kinked an eyebrow at this and he sent her a playful glare.

"Brooke?" he called as he led his mom into the house.

"Just a second," he heard her call from upstairs.

A few moments later, she appeared at the bottom of the stairs and the moment he saw her, he couldn't look away. She was dressed simply, wearing a tight pair of black skinny jeans and a white sleeveless top, but there was just something about her that took his breath away. The bruises on her arms had completely faded and the ones on her face were covered by her makeup. She looked like the old Brooke Davis; she even had that vibrant, confident aura that she'd been lacking the last few weeks.

Brooke sent him a confident smile and that was when he got a hold of himself. He cursed himself for his immediate and obvious reaction to seeing her because he knew now that his mother would be quick to throw it in his face the moment she got the chance. So he resisted looking back at his mother, instead walking over to Brooke.

"You look beautiful," he said, smiling gently at her.

"Thanks. I was worried that this cover up wouldn't hide the bruises all the way, but it seems to have done the job."

"It did," he agreed, "but, bruises or no bruises, you're beautiful no matter what."

A soft smile was on her lips as their eyes locked. "You're so sweet, Luke."

"Well, what do you expect?" Karen said, coming up from behind him. "He was raised by me."

"True," Brooke said with a laugh.

And then his mother turned to look at him, a very knowing smile on her lips, and he knew that, come tomorrow, she was never going to let him hear the end of it.

**888**

As they watched Nathan get ready play his new, and rather dangerous, sport, Brooke was surprised at how normal everything seemed. She was with her closest friends— her family in all ways except blood— and she really felt like she was moving on now more than ever. She knew she wasn't completely back to normal, but she was slowly but surely healing and that was all that mattered.

Poking her head around Peyton, she looked at Millicent. "I can't believe you and Mouth are moving back home. I mean, you've been only gone for less than a month."

"I know," Millicent said, "but Omaha just didn't feel right. Mouth and I both agreed with that."

"You sure that you're not just coming home for me?"

"I'd be lying if I said that wasn't part of the reason, but there's a lot of reasons we're coming home, Brooke, so don't worry, this is where we want to be."

"Well, I'm glad that you're coming home. Tree Hill isn't the same without you."

"It's not the same without you either, Karen," Peyton added, looking up at Lucas' mother, who was sitting behind them.

"I know," Karen said regretfully, "but I promise that Lily, Andy and I will be moving home within the next year."

Brooke smiled sadly up at Karen, wordlessly agreeing with Peyton. She didn't know what she was going to do with Karen gone. She needed her mom— because that was truly what Karen had become to her— and she wasn't looking forward to saying goodbye to her tomorrow.

Lucas seemed to sense her change in mood because he put a hand on her knee and, when she turned to look at him, he was looking at her in concern.

"Are you doing alright?"

"I'm great," she said, sending him an encouraging smile. He nodded as he slid his arm around her shoulder, pulling her into a side hug, and she rested her head on his shoulder.

She was glad to be distracted from her thoughts of Karen's impending departure as Jamie appeared at her feet, an excited smile on his lips.

"The games about to start!"

"Are you excited to see your dad play?" she asked as she pulled him onto her lap.

"Yup. He said he's gonna kick that other teams as—."

"James Lucas Scott!" Haley poked her head in between Brooke and Lucas and glared down at her son. "Don't you dare finish that sentence."

Brooke shot Haley an amused glance, while Jamie just smiled apologetically and focused his attention on the court in front of the them as the game finally started. Brooke followed her godson's gaze, kinking an eyebrow as she watched them play. This was definitely very entertaining, if not completely insane. Then she caught sight of a familiar figure her eyes narrowed as she tried to figure out if she was seeing things right.

"Hey," she said, looking up at Haley inquiringly, "is that _Owen _I'm seeing on Nathan's team?"

Haley looked at her guiltily. "Um, yeah, actually..."

"And how come I wasn't informed that he was playing slamball with Nathan?"

"Well, you've had so much else going on in your life and I didn't want to bring Owen into it."

"Did anyone else know about this?"

"I definitely didn't," Peyton muttered.

"I didn't know either," Lucas added.

She didn't even know he was back in town, let alone playing slamball with Nathan. She noticed him looking over in her direction and he sent her a guilty smile. She didn't smile back. Her lips twitched into an annoyed frown as she glared at Owen's burly form.

"Ugh, that jerk..."

Lucas was about to say something to her when his cell phone rang and he quietly excused himself.

"When did Owen get back in town?" she asked no one in particular.

She was taken by surprise as Peyton answered, "A few weeks ago, I think."

Peyton also seemed surprised to hear the own words come out of her own mouth. She glanced at Brooke with an odd look on her face, quickly continuing, "I bumped into him at Tric last week..."

"Oh...why didn't you tell me?"

"Like Haley said, you had a lot of other stuff going on in your life. It didn't seem worth mentioning at the time."

"Yeah, I guess it's wasn't..."

"You're not still interested in him, are you?" Haley asked curiously.

Brooke just laughed at that. Her romantic interest in Owen was long gone. "No, definitely not."

"Good, because to be honest, I never really like you and Owen much. You didn't work very well together."

"I agree, believe me..."

Underneath it all, Owen was a good guy, but she didn't think that she and him could have ever had anything serious. Owen was a bachelor and he loved his freedom more than anything. Brooke, on the other hand, was looking for something more than that.

"Guys, you're never gonna believe this..."

She turned to look at Lucas, who had appeared next to her once again.

"What happened?"

"I just got a call from a movie producer. He wants to make Ravens into a movie."

Brooke's eyes widened in surprise. "Oh my God, Luke, that's amazing!"

She pulled him into a brief hug, chuckling at his dazed expression as everyone congratulated him. She was so proud of him. He'd put a lot of work into that book and, even though it brought back some bad memories for her, she was so glad that his work was appreciated like this.

"So when is this all going to happen?" Haley asked.

"I don't know," Lucas said, still in awe of the news. "The producer said he's going to come meet with me within the next week or so. He said he wants me to write the script."

"Wow," Karen said, "that's a huge honor."

"I know...this is kind of amazing."

"I'm so proud of you, Lucas," Brooke said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "After all the work you put into that book, you really deserve this."

"Thanks, Brooke," he said, smiling at her, but then he turned serious. "Are you both okay with this, though?" he asked, looking at her and then at Peyton.

"Of course," Peyton said with a shrug. "It's kind of cool actually."

His gaze landed intently on her. "What about you, Brooke?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"I don't know..." Lucas looked away now, seeming uncomfortable. "The way the book was edited...well, I just don't think it did us justice."

"It's okay, Lucas," she said, forcing a smile, because he was right, his book didn't do them justice and that was one thing she'd disliked about it, but she didn't want to bring him down. This was his moment and she'd let him have it.

"No," he said with a sigh, "it's not. It wasn't fair to you."

Looking back at Peyton, she found that her best friend was focusing back on the game and she was glad, because if they were going to have this conversation, she wanted it to be between the two of them.

"I'm over it, Lucas," she assured him. "There's no need to worry about it all now."

Those words didn't seem to give him any encouragement, though. His gaze landed back on the basketball court, his eyes following the game, but she knew he was thinking about anything but. She didn't want to dig up old wounds after all this time, but she was actually surprised that Lucas seemed so conflicted about all this. It had never seemed to bother him much before.

She put a hand over his, patting it gently. "Hey." He turned to look at her again, a hint of a frown on his face. "This is a happy night, so stop your brooding."

"But brooding is what I do," he said, his lips now twitching into a small smile.

"I know and that's why I call you broody, but tonight you've got to be cheery with me."

"Cheery, huh?" He chuckled, looking down at their now intertwined hands. "Alright, I think I can do that."

She flashed him a grin, squeezing his hand, before focusing once again on Nathan's game.

**888**

Lucas wasn't sure why he was so bothered about how Brooke felt about his book being made into a movie. She seemed happy for him and that should have been good enough, but Brooke had never been a huge fan of his book, although she would never admit that to him. It was obvious why she'd never taken a liking to it; it downplayed his relationship with Brooke in order to uplift his relationship with Peyton. And that wasn't what Lucas had originally written. Originally, his and Brooke's story had been a major focal point in the book, but when it had gone to the publishers, they weren't too fond of the love triangle or the fact that Lucas truly loved each girl. They wanted it to focus on one of the romances and so they'd chosen Peyton.

But now that there would be a movie, he just hoped that it wouldn't bring Brooke down. She said she was over it and she probably was, but it still couldn't be easy for her. He knew it still wasn't easy for him.

He was so lost in his own thoughts that he didn't even notice that the game had ended until everyone around him started standing up. He looked over at Brooke, who, at some point during the game, had moved to sit with his mom. She sent him a wink as she noticed him staring at her, mouthing what he could tell was 'cheery.' He just chuckled to himself, sending her a grin in return.

Most of the crowd started heading towards the exits, but their group held back to greet Nathan. His brother came jogging over to them, a huge grin on his face. Lucas was about to congratulate him on his win when he noticed Owen making his way over to Brooke.

That was when something came over him. What it was, he wasn't exactly sure— although it felt a lot like jealousy— but there was something about the way Owen was looking at Brooke that hit him the wrong way. He didn't like him. He wasn't sure if he ever had, but now specifically, he was not very fond of him. So he walked past his brother, Haley, and the others, and moved quickly over to Brooke and Peyton, who were now speaking with an uncomfortable looking Owen.

Putting a protective hand on the small of Brooke's back, Lucas send Owen a cold look before looking back down at Brooke.

"Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah," she said, smiling gratefully up at him. "Come on, Peyton."

"Brooke," Owen called as they turned to leave, "are you sure we can't talk?"

"Honestly, Owen, what is there to say?"

"I just...I wanted to apologize for the way I left."

She let out a heavy sigh. "Look, I've got to go. I'll see you around."

She nodded at Lucas and Peyton and they turned around and headed back to everyone else, leaving a guilty looking Owen behind. Lucas looked down at her in concern, hoping that Owen hadn't gotten to her. She seemed okay, though, so he decided to not question her on it. It probably wouldn't do them any good, anyway, although he was curious about how Brooke really felt about Owen. He hoped she still didn't have feelings for the guy. Not that it was any of his business, but he just didn't think Owen was good enough for Brooke. She needed a guy who would love her unconditionally, who would be there for her no matter what, and who treat her the way she deserved to be treated. And Owen wasn't that guy.

Now that he thought about it, actually, he really wasn't sure _any _guy was good enough for her. Brooke Davis was one of a kind. He didn't want just any guy to end up with her. But he realized now that to him, any guy was every guy so where did that leave her? Alone? No, he decided, definitely not alone. The truth was, deep down he knew the answer to that question, he knew who he wanted her to be with. The question now, though, was if he was ready to finally admit it to himself.

**888**

Ever since Peyton saw Owen at the game, she'd been going crazy with guilt. It had been impossible to focus on the game when she saw him playing along side Nathan, shooting both her and Brooke guilty looks. She just wished that she could take that night back. She and Owen had used each other for an escape. It had been a meaningless one-night stand, but she wasn't sure if Brooke would think that. Because the fact of the matter was that she slept with her best friend's ex-boyfriend and, everything with Lucas behind them, that just wasn't right.

So now, as she and Brooke returned home from the game, she was having a hard time keeping her mouth shut. She felt like she needed to tell Brooke, but she wasn't sure her best friend was ready for this. Haley had been right earlier; Brooke had a lot of other stuff on her plate and she didn't need the added drama.

But she needed to do it because there was really no good time to let out this sort of news. She'd find excuse after excuse until she finally decided to let the whole thing go and never to tell Brooke. And she wasn't going to let that happen.

Sitting down on the couch, she watched as Brooke prepared to go upstairs to bed. This was it. She had to do it now. She just hoped that it didn't damage their friendship.

"Hey, Brooke, do you have a second?"

Brooke glanced over at her curiously. "Sure." She took a seat next to Peyton. "What's up?"

"I need to tell you something and it's kind of crazy, but I just need you to know..." She really wasn't sure how to do this, so, taking a deep breath, she decided to just come out with it. "I slept with Owen."

For a few painful seconds, Brooke just sat there, mouth open in complete shock, but then her lips twitched into a heavy frown, her eyes narrowing in both anger and confusion.

"_What_?"

"Brooke, I'm so sorry. I've been meaning to tell you, but there never seemed to be a right time and when I saw Owen tonight, I just couldn't keep it from you any longer. It was a one-night stand, really. We'd had a few too many drinks and he was upset about you and I was upset about Lucas and...well, it happened. And I've been regretting it ever since. You've got to believe me, Brooke..."

Brooke was looking away from her now, her jaw set firmly as she focused on anything but Peyton. She didn't know what to do now other than to keep apologizing.

"I'm so, _so _sorry, Brooke, I—."

But Brooke cut her off. "When, Peyton?" She sounded frustrated, but not as angry as Peyton had first thought she was. "When did this happen?"

"A few weeks ago," she replied slowly. "Actually, it happened the night you were attacked."

That fact definitely made Peyton even guiltier than she already was. Brooke lapsed into silence again, her expression now unreadable.

"What I did was wrong," Peyton said, feeling the need to break through the uncomfortable silence. "It didn't matter that you and Owen weren't together anymore. I shouldn't have done it. I'd take it back in a heartbeat if I could, Brooke...and I understand if you can't forgive me..."

She stopped there, not knowing what else to say, but Brooke turned to look at her again and Peyton was surprised to see that Brooke was looking at her as if she was crazy.

"That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. Of course, I forgive you. You're my best friend, Peyton, and we decided a long time ago that no guy is going to come between us. Hoes over bros, right?"

This definitely wasn't the reaction Peyton had been expecting. "Hoes over bros," she mumbled. "But I..."

"Look," Brooke interrupted, "I'm not gonna lie and tell you that I'm not a little bit angry with you, because I am, but I know that you didn't do this to hurt me. I know that you're genuinely sorry. So there's really no point in me holding a grudge against you, is there?"

"I...guess not." Peyton was really at a loss for what to say. Brooke had always been a very forgiving person, but she hadn't expected her to be so quick to forgive her on this. It almost felt wrong. "I don't know, Brooke...I just feel like you should be pissed at me for a little while. I deserve it."

"It's too much of a chore to be angry with you," Brooke said, sending Peyton a small smile. "I learned that a long time ago. Besides, I'm pissed enough at Owen for the both of you... P. Sawyer, _please _tell me that you don't actually have feelings for that jerk."

"No," Peyton said with a laugh, "Owen really isn't my type. He's kind of hot, but that's where it stops."

"Okay, I have to ask, how exactly was he in bed?"

Peyton's eyes widened in horror. "I am so not answering that question."

"Come on, Peyton, I tried so hard to get him to sleep with me. I need to know if he would have been worth it."

"Brooke, seriously?"

Her best friend just nodded expectantly.

"He was fine, okay? I don't even remember that much..."

"Mhmm..."

"Brooke, can we _please _not talk about this?"

Brooke just laughed. "Fine. I guess this topic is a little awkward."

"Yes, it is. I mean, I was preparing for yo to kick me out of the house for the night, or at the very least a slap me or something, not for you to ask me how good he was..."

"I'd only slap you if the guy was worth it and Owen really wasn't."

Peyton just shook her head, chuckling lightly. "So are we really okay, Brooke?"

Her best friend's face softened as she put a comforting hand on Brooke's leg. "We're fine."

Peyton let out a smile of relief, more than thankful for having a friend as great as Brooke. She really didn't deserve her, now that she thought about it, but she wasn't going to complain.

"Good... I love you, B. Davis."

Brooke grinned, pulling her into a hug. "I love you too, P. Sawyer."

* * *

**A/N: **I don't have much time to write much of an A/N, but, as usual, I'd like to thank everyone for reading! Please don't kill me if there's a ton of grammatical mistakes in here because I haven't edited it yet! I hope you enjoyed it anyway!


	10. Denial

**Denial**

Brooke stood behind the counter, her eyes wandering around the empty store. For the first time since her attack, she was back at work. She'd visited the store last week with Karen and it hadn't been as hard as she thought it would be. Of course, it hadn't been easy either, but she had needed to do it in order to move forward.

She was working by herself today. Millicent and Mouth were in Omaha again, packing up their stuff so they could move back to Tree Hill. Karen had left two days ago and Brooke, along with everyone else, was missing her, but she talked with her everyday on the phone and, for now, that was good enough.

It was still a little strange to be working again and she hadn't even officially started working, considering the store didn't open for another five minutes. She took a deep breath, preparing herself for the long day she was sure to have. That was when she heard a knock on the front door, which, out of paranoia, she'd locked when she'd first arrived . A smile lit up her face as she saw Lucas peering through the window, grinning back at her.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, as she let him into the store.

"I thought you could use some help."

"That's sweet, Luke, but have you ever actually worked in retail before?"

"No, but, no offense, it's not exactly rocket science. And didn't you tell me a while ago that I could help out if you needed me?"

"Yes, but I'm fine, Lucas. Today's a weekday, so it really shouldn't be too busy. Shouldn't you be working on that movie script of yours, anyway?"

"I have to meet with the producer first, so no. Come on, Brooke, I've got nothing else to do today and I want to help."

It was obvious that he wasn't going to give up, so she just shook her head in amusement, giving in to his demands.

"Fine, but I'm paying you."

"No you're not and we're not even gonna argue about that, so don't even try."

"Lucas—."

"Nope! Don't say anything else because it'll only get you nowhere. Now, what do you want me to do?"

She glared playfully at him, but pointed over to the counter. "I guess you can work at the register, since you used to do that at your mom's café."

"See," he said with a cute grin as he made his way to cash register, "I am useful."

"Yeah, yeah. Just watch it, Scott, or I'm going to be forced to pay you."

"I love how you're threatening me with money."

She chuckled lightly, but sent him a pointed look as she made her way back over to the door, flipping the sign in the front from closed to open. Truthfully, she was really glad to have him come in to help. She knew the store wouldn't be busy today, but at the same time, it would be hard to manage all by herself. And, of course, she could use the company; she'd have been bored out of her mind otherwise.

"And now we're open for business," Lucas said, rubbing his hands together excitedly.

"Yes, it looks like we've got a huge crowd today," she said sarcastically.

Dropping onto the couch, she rested her feet on the small coffee table in front of it. A second later, Lucas was sitting next to her. He looked at her, an odd smile on his face that she couldn't quite read. One thing she did know, though, was that he obviously had something on his mind.

"What's up with you?"

"I don't know what you mean."

She kinked an eyebrow. "Luke, something's going on in that crazy head of yours, it's obvious."

He put on an innocent front. "I really don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes, you do. Now spit it out."

He relaxed back into the couch, staring straight ahead of him. "Honestly, I've got a lot of stuff on my mind."

"Like what?"

He shrugged. "I don't know...stuff."

"_Stuff_, huh?" she said, chuckling. "Way to be specific. Come on, Lucas, you can tell me anything."

He smiled softly at her, nodding. "I know I can... I guess mostly I've been thinking about this whole movie. It's kind of crazy..."

"I know, but it's a great opportunity. You're not thinking about not going through with it, are you?"

"No, no, of course not..." He sighed, frowning slightly. "I'm just worried about how it's gonna come out. Certain events might get lost in translation, you know?"

This had been the same reaction he'd had a few days ago, when he first got the call about the movie, and she was a little surprised that he was still hung up on it.

"Well, _you're _writing the script, Luke. It's in your hands. If you're worried about things getting lost in translation or whatever, then make sure they don't. It's your book and your life. Do whatever you want with it."

His frown turned into a small smile. "Yeah, you're right. I don't know why it's been bothering me so much, anyway...I think it's because it's been so long since I've actually paid attention to this particular book, since my other one's been taking up all my time. It's going to be kind of weird to go back to it again after all this time."

She put a reassuring hand on his leg. "It's gonna be great, Luke, I already know it."

"Thanks," he said, putting his hand over hers. "You're the best, you know that?"

"Yeah," she said, as if it was obvious to the whole world.

He chuckled softly. "You always know what to say to make me feel better."

"Right back at you."

Their eyes locked and this was one of those moments where she could never appreciate the friendship they had enough. It still amazed her how they'd gotten to this point, how he'd managed to become one of her best friends, second only to Peyton. It was something that she'd never take for granted.

"So," he said, breaking the silence that had formed between them, "I've been meaning to ask you about Owen."

She let out a very loud sigh at the mention of her ex-boyfriend. After learning about his little tryst with Peyton, there was no way that Owen could ever get in her good graces again.

"You don't sound so enthusiastic."

"That's because Owen's an asshole."

"The way he left you, I'd have to agree."

"It's not just that..." She trailed off, unsure if she should tell him about Owen and Peyton. She didn't want his opinion of Peyton to go down, especially since his and Peyton friendship was finally getting back on track.

Lucas, however, was very curious. "What do you mean?"

"Well..." She figured she'd tell him, since he'd probably figure out anyway. "It turns out Owen had a little _fling _with Peyton."

Lucas' eyes widened in surprise. "What kind of fling?"

"A drunken one night stand kind of fling."

He remained speechless for a few moments. "Wow," he finally said.

"Yeah, I was more than shocked to hear about it."

"And when did it happen?"

"A few weeks ago, but Peyton told me after the game the other night."

He looked angry now. "I can't believe either of them would do that to you."

"Peyton and I have talked about it and everything is fine between us, so don't worry about me and her. I can't say the same about me and Owen, though."

"What a jerk," Lucas said, shaking his head in disgust. "And to think he had the nerve to come up and try to apologize to you after the game about how he left, as if he expected you to just take him back..."

"You don't have to worry about that happening, either. I think it's safe to say that our ship has sailed."

He looked happy to hear that, something that made Brooke smile. She always found the stubborn, overprotective side of Lucas cute. She was also flattered that Lucas cared so much about her; she knew he'd do just about anything to keep her safe, to save her. That hadn't changed over the years and she was glad for that.

"Hey," she said, putting a hand on his arm. The air turned serious as he looked at her softly. "I just wanted to thank you for being here for me, not just these past few months, but ever since I've come home to Tree Hill. You've been so amazing and I appreciate everything you've done more than anything."

His eyes bore intensely into hers. "I'd do anything for you," he said simply.

There was such an overwhelming amount of sincerity in his words that it was impossible not to believe him. And then she was reminded of a time when he'd said something similar— _anything for you. _It had been in high school, a time when they were great friends, closer than any time before, but they'd also been struggling with their feelings for each other, each of them tucking any romantic feelings away for the same reason; they didn't want to ruin their friendship.

And those thoughts led to a new one— this time a blinding fear— and that was that their friendship now would end up the same way their friendship had ended that year in high school: a full-blown relationship. And that would lead to a few blissful months spent in love and happiness, which would inevitably end to a a breakup, most likely a result of Peyton or simply her own insecurities standing in their way, and, that, in turn, would once again result in a broken friendship that would take years to recover.

But then she calmed down enough to realize that their situation now was completely different. This was because neither of them had any romantic feelings for each other. At least she thought they didn't. She couldn't speak for Lucas, of course, but she was pretty sure he was long over her. And she had no romantic interest in him whatsoever.

Well, maybe that was a bit of a lie. There'd been times— not even that long ago— when she imagined being with him again, but she knew it would never happen and she quickly stopped entertaining such ridiculous thoughts. There was no way the two of them would work again. It was Peyton and Lucas, it always had been, and she wouldn't get in the way of them again. Of course, Peyton and Lucas didn't actually want to be with each other anymore, but Brooke wouldn't put it past either of them to change their minds and there was no way she would be put in the middle of that. No, she and Lucas would never work; it was stupid to even think about.

She wasn't even aware of the frustrated sigh that left her lips until Lucas sent her a curious stare and asked her what was wrong. She didn't say anything, because she wasn't sure. A minute ago, she'd been sitting comfortably with him, enjoying his company and his friendship, and now, here she was, trying to deny any sort of romantic feelings she had for him. Because she _didn't _have any. She was sure of that...maybe not a hundred percent sure, but close to it...

Who was she trying to kid? She knew without a doubt that the love she had for him had never gone away in the five years since they were last together. Yes, she'd hidden it extremely well, even to the point where she had no trouble believing that she'd actually moved on, but it was still there, no matter how much she hated to admit it.

Her feelings for him had been lying dormant for all these years, but now it seemed they were back and they wanted out. But she wouldn't let that happen. She'd spent five years hiding it and she didn't have a problem continuing to do so. Although she was finding it very hard now, as his eyes penetrated hers so intensely that she had to look away.

It was like she was in high school all over again and she hated herself for becoming so vulnerable to him. But how could she possibly _not _be drawn to him again? He'd been the best friend she could ask for these past few months, helping her with Angie and then taking care of her after her attack. He'd saved her just like he promised he would, and he did it because he loved her, not because he had to. The only thing she was unsure of, now, was if his love for her was that of a friend or more. She didn't want to know, though. A relationship with Lucas was too complicated, not to mention that she could never risk ruining her friendship with both Lucas and Peyton. Nothing was worth that.

"Brooke? Are you okay?"

She turned to look at the object of her thoughts and then she nodded slowly. She was going to bury her feelings for him again, this time once and for all.

"I'm fine."

Lucas didn't seem entirely convinced, but she was mercifully spared any more questions as the first costumer of the day entered the store. She sent Lucas a small but confident smile before going to, once again, hide behind her work.

**888**

Lucas stared blankly at the computer screen. He wasn't sure what he should be doing right now. Brooke had sent him home that afternoon when Haley had come to the store to help out and he hadn't been able to argue with her. He supposed he could get a head start on the script, but he really wasn't in the mood to do any sort of writing at the moment.

Luckily he was saved from making any sort of decision as he heard a knock on the door. It was coming from the front door, meaning that whoever was there must not be very familiar with him because most of his friends came straight to his bedroom door. And like he expected, when he opened the door, he was greeted by an unfamiliar face.

"How can I help you?"

The stranger broke out into an enthusiastic smile at the sight of him. "Lucas Scott, right?"

"Yeah, that's me..."

The stranger's smile broadened. "It's really an honor to finally meet you, Lucas," the man said, taking Lucas' hand and shaking it. "It's kind of crazy to be in the town I've read so much about. Not everything's exactly how I imagined it, but I visited that Rivercourt of yours and I have to say that I think I got that spot on."

Lucas was more than confused now and luckily the stranger in front of him seemed to recognize it.

"I'm so sorry, I got caught up in everything and forgot to introduce myself. I'm Julian Baker. We talked on the phone a couple nights ago about making your book into a movie."

"Oh, right," Lucas said, everything finally clicking in his mind. "Wow, I had no idea you'd be coming to soon."

"Yeah, I'm sorry about showing up with no notice. I just had an opening in my schedule and I had to take it."

"It's no problem, I'm just a little surprised. Come on in, though."

He led Julian into the living room. The movie producer glanced around the room with a big grin on his lips.

"Is this the same house you lived in in your book?"

"Yes, it is. I actually bought it from my mom a few years ago when she moved away, so now it's all mine."

"Great place for a family," Julian said conversationally.

"It is, but unfortunately right now it's just a bachelor pad, which should explain the mess to you. Sorry about that, by the way."

"No problem. Houses aren't homes with a little mess, right?"

Lucas chuckled softly, liking Julian already. "Yup."

They both took a seat on the couch. Lucas wasn't sure exactly what this impromptu meeting was going to bring, but he was curious to find out.

"I have to say, Lucas, your book was amazing. When I first read it...well, I wasn't sure what to expect, but it blew me away. So it means a lot to know that you're willing to trust me with this movie."

"Well, I'm just honored that you think it's good enough to be made into a movie. So how exactly is this whole thing gonna work, anyway?"

Julian grinned, setting the notebook he'd been carrying down on the coffee table in front of them and opening it up. He quickly started explaining the specifics and, as Lucas listened to him go on enthusiastically about each detail, he could already tell that this Julian was a guy he could trust.

**888**

When Peyton returned home from the recording studio that night, she found Brooke in the kitchen, pulling out bags of takeout. Brooke sent her a cheerful smile.

"How was your day, P. Sawyer?"

"Productive. And what about you? How as your first day back at work?"

"It was really nice, actually. Lucas and Haley helped out most of the day, so it was pretty easy."

Peyton was glad to see Brooke acting like her normal self again; she was genuinely moving on."That's good."

She took a seat at the kitchen table, noticing the seemingly endless amount of Chinese food that Brooke was now setting onto the table.

"What's up with the crazy amounts of food?"

"Lucas is coming over tonight and he's bringing the guy that wants to produce his movie with him."

"He's already here?" she asked in surprise. She thought Lucas had said it would be a couple of weeks before he met up with the producer.

"Apparently. Lucas said that the producer's actually pretty cool and he's really excited about the movie. And, since Lucas was coming over tonight anyway, I thought I'd invite the producer over here too, you know, so we can scope him out and see if he's as great as Lucas made him about to be."

Peyton shrugged. "Sounds good to me. Lucas didn't say anything more about this guy, did he? Because if this producer guy is hot, I'm thinking I'm gonna need to change into something a little more...appealing."

"Lucas did not mention if this guy was hot or not," Brooke said with a laugh, "but you look great, Peyton, so I wouldn't worry."

Peyton didn't really agree, considering the fact that she'd spent the whole day cooped up in her studio and could really use a shower, but she was too lazy to do anything about it now.

She silently watched Brooke move around the kitchen, taking out plates and glasses. Brooke was doing this all for Lucas, even if she didn't admit it. Now that she'd moved past Lucas, Peyton could better appreciate the friendship between her two friends. She could also now tell that the friendship between the two of them was definitely more than they made it out to be. She'd known that for awhile now, actually, and she'd been wanting to ask Brooke about it. Now, it seemed, she finally had a chance to do so.

"So you and Lucas have been spending a lot of time together lately," she began casually.

Brooke whipped around, looking at Peyton curiously. "Yeah...he's been great."

"I haven't seen you this close since high school."

"Yeah..."

Brooke glanced down at the counter and Peyton felt bad for putting her on the spot, but at the same time she couldn't help but want to know more; she wanted to know if Brooke's feelings for Lucas went beyond friendship.

"Brooke, do you have feelings for Lucas?"

She didn't mean to come out so bluntly, but she didn't know how else to do it.

"Of course not," Brooke answered, clearly surprised that she had asked that in the first place. Peyton didn't believe her, though. Not for a second.

It was obvious that this conversation was much more uncomfortable for Brooke than it was for her and that was probably because Brooke thought that she would be completely against the idea of her having feelings for Lucas. Brooke was wrong, though, because she was completely fine with it and she wanted her to know that.

"You know I'd be fine if you and Lucas decided that you wanted to get back together. Actually, I'd be incredibly happy for you both."

Brooke just shook her head, her expression now dark. "Peyton, I..."

But she couldn't say anything else because the door bell had rung, signaling the arrival of Lucas and his movie producer. Brooke looked incredibly relieved for the distraction as she practically ran over to answer the door. Peyton just sighed, standing up to follow her; their conversation would have to continue on later.

When she made it to the door, though, she was pretty sure that her and Brooke's conversation would be the last thing on her mind for some time to come because, standing next to Lucas, was the man that had sent her back to Tree Hill last year— the man that she'd once been in love with.

"Julian..."

* * *

**A/N: **I wasn't originally intending to end the chapter there, but I decided to leave a cliffhanger just for fun :D... So now the Peyton/Julian relationship will be introduced, meaning that this story is finally starting to get on its way. There's still a lot more to come, though, so keep sticking with me because I think it's really going to start getting interesting soon.

As usual, thanks so much for reading and please remember to review!


	11. Surprise

**Surprise**

"Julian..."

There was really nothing Peyton could do now but just stand there, eyes wide in shock, as her two ex-boyfriends stared back at her. Lucas now looked just as surprised as Peyton, while Julian sent her a small, guilty smile that told her that he knew she'd be there.

She couldn't believe that Julian was producing Lucas' movie. More than anything, she couldn't understand _why _he would want to make a movie out of the book that broke them up. She clearly remembered a time when he hadn't been so fond of the novel she'd kept so close to her heart.

"Hi, Peyton," Julian quietly said.

Lucas glanced back and forth at them both in confusion. "You two know each other?"

All she could do was nod dumbly, but Julian turned to look at Lucas, the guilt that Peyton had seen in him a second ago now even more obvious.

"We were friends back in LA."

_Friends_? They'd been so much more than friends. Julian had been so close to stealing her heart from Lucas once and for all. They'd been in a serious relationship for over a year, in love and living together. A part of her wondered that, if he'd just given her another chance instead of sending her back to Lucas, they'd still be together.

"Wait." Brooke's voice broke her out of her reverie. "You're Julian? As in _the _Julian?"

Peyton had told Brooke about her past relationship with Julian numerous times, but Brooke had never actually met him. Lucas, on the other hand, obviously had no clue.

She was distracted from answering Brooke's question as her eyes finally locked on to Julian's. He held her gaze, his usual confidence still there, but he was clearly conflicted as well and it was probably because he was thinking that that she suspected that his motives with the movie wasn't just business. And, now that she thought about it, she wondered if he was simply in Tree Hill for the movie. He'd never been fond of Lucas' book, nor had he actually read it, so why would he want to make a movie of it? Did he come for her? That seemed like an arrogant question, but she thought it was justified.

"_The _Julian, huh?" Lucas said. "I'm still lost."

"We dated," Peyton said, finally speaking.

Lucas looked at her, an eyebrow cocked, but he didn't seem too put off. There was no jealousy or anything of the sort, something that was for the best.

"Well, that's a coincidence."

"Is it?" Peyton questioned, staring Julian right in the eye. She knew how to make him cave. If his intentions for this movie were personal, then it really wasn't fair to Lucas and she wasn't going to have that.

Julian didn't answer; he looked away from her, staring with an unreadable expression at anything but her. And there was her answer.

Next to her, Brooke laughed nervously, filling the awkward silence. "Um, okay, so the foods all here so why don't you two come inside and we can...talk."

Peyton watched Brooke exchange a nervous smile with both Julian and Lucas as she ushered them both into the kitchen. Lucas and Julian sat next to each other and Peyton and Brooke took seats across from them.

"Eat up," Brooke said, loading up her own plate with food, while the others followed.

"So," Lucas said, "I don't think I need to introduce you to Peyton, but this," he motioned over at Brooke, "is my great friend, Brooke Davis."

Julian sent Brooke a cute grin. "Nice to finally meet you, Brooke. I've heard a lot about you."

"Yes, I've heard a lot about you too. And when I say a lot, I mean a _lot_. I mean like an—"

"_Brooke_," Peyton interrupted, glaring at her best friend before she could continue on with what was sure to be a very colorful and very inappropriate explanation of all the more intimate details that Peyton had told her about her and Julian's relationship.

Now Julian was back to looking uncomfortable, while Lucas caught Brooke's eyes and they shared a laugh. Peyton glared at him too. This wasn't funny. This was so far from funny.

"Look," Julian said, serious now as he turned to Lucas, "I just want to say that, despite my prior relationship with Peyton, I'm here solely for this movie. Your book was great, Lucas, and I really want to translate that to the screen. So, Lucas, please know that I'm serious about this. I'm not taking this movie lightly and you've got to trust me on that."

Lucas nodded slowly. "I believe you, Julian."

Peyton was surprised at how quick Lucas was to trust Julian because she definitely didn't. He could say all he wanted, but she was sure that he wouldn't have been so eager to make a movie if it wasn't for the fact that he knew she'd be in Tree Hill. She wasn't going to call him on that now, though. That was something she needed to do in private. So, as Julian started explaining the movie details to them all, she just grinned and bared it, knowing that the return of her ex-boyfriend was sure to cause only trouble.

**888 **

Somehow Julian and Lucas had managed to deviate the attention from the Julian/Peyton relationship over to the movie and so this left Brooke to observe the crazy situation from the sidelines.

Peyton was trying hard to remain as unreadable as possible, which might work for Julian and Lucas, but Brooke could read her like a book. It was more than obvious that Peyton was trying her hardest to figure Julian out. Peyton didn't believe that Julian was simply in Tree Hill for the movie and, to be honest, neither did Brooke. Peyton had told her a lot about their past relationship and she knew that it was more serious than either of them had let on. It had only been a little over a year since they'd broken up and Brooke knew from her own experience that most of the time it took a lot longer than that to get over losing someone you really loved.

Brooke shifted her attention of to Lucas. She was a little surprised at how well he was taking this. It would have been natural that he would be a little put off by the fact that the guy who wanted to produce a movie based on his book had once seriously dated his ex-girlfriend, who also just happened to be a main love interest to him in the said book. It didn't matter that Lucas was supposedly over Peyton, he could still have thought that the situation was a little weird. And yet there he was, talking and laughing with Julian like they were old friends. It was kind of weird, now that she thought about it, and she made a mental note to talk about it with Lucas later to find out how he really felt.

When she glanced back at Peyton, her best friend looked more annoyed than anything. She was frustrated now that everyone was ignoring the main issue and Brooke couldn't blame her. Then again, it was probably wise not to start any more drama than necessary.

A second later, Peyton dropped her fork, standing up. Lucas and Julian stopped their rambling to look up at her.

"I've had a long day," she said and Brooke could hear the frustration in her voice. "I'll see you later."

With that, Peyton headed upstairs, leaving a once again guilty looking Julian behind. Lucas glanced over at Brooke, catching her eye, and she just nodded, wordlessly conveying that she'd check up on Peyton. She quietly excused herself, following Peyton upstairs. She was going to get to the bottom of this.

**888**

"So..." Julian trailed off as Brooke disappeared. The producer looked down at his now empty plate uncomfortably.

Lucas looked over at him, his jaw set. Now that they were alone, he would finally be able to get an idea of what exactly he was dealing with. It wasn't like he was angry with Julian for dating Peyton. He was surprised, to say the least, because Peyton had made it seem like she was living like a nun ever since they broke up, but he wasn't angry. He was also pretty sure he believed Julian when he said he was there for the movie, not Peyton, but he still wanted to make sure. Julian might have seemed trustworthy, but that didn't mean he was.

"Alright," Lucas said, turning to look at Julian seriously, "I'm gonna be honest with you— I don't care that you dated Peyton. Actually, I'm perfectly fine with it."

"Really?" Julian asked, clearly surprised. "See, I thought that was gonna be the big issue with me and you. I mean, aren't you and Peyton together?"

Lucas cocked an eyebrow. He wasn't sure how Julian had gotten that impression. "No, we're not."

"Oh..." Julian frowned, looking away awkwardly.

"Peyton and I have been over for awhile now."

"Huh..."

"Julian," he continued, "I know I told you in front of the girls that I believed you when you said you were just here for the movie, but that was because I didn't want to start up anything. But I'll tell you now if your main goal in coming here was to get Peyton back, then I'm not sure this will work."

"That wasn't my goal at all," Julian defended. "I'll admit, I knew Peyton was here. I was hoping to see her again, but I thought she was back with you. And why would I try to steal her away from the guy that I sent her back to?"

"You sent her back to me?" he asked, surprised.

"Kind of, yeah...Look, the story's kind of complicated..."

Lucas just looked at him expectantly. He wanted to know; actually he _deserved _to know.

"But you have the right to know all the facts," Julian continued. He sighed, stringing a hand through his hair. "I met Peyton pretty much the day after you broke up with her. We became good friends and then, about six months later, we started dating. We had a lot of fun together, but I knew I was a distraction for her from you. She was still hung up on you, even though she never admitted it. I only knew because every time she saw your book in stores, she'd buy a copy. I didn't mind at first; I knew she was just coping and that soon she'd get over you. But then we started to get really serious and we were even living together, but she still didn't stop buying your books. And that's when I started getting frustrated. I grew to hate a book I hadn't even read. It was tearing us apart and she didn't even know it... After awhile, I just couldn't take it anymore. It was obvious that the two of you didn't have any closure, that she was still in love with you, and I just couldn't be second best any more. So I let her go. I didn't explicitly sent her back to Tree Hill to be with you, but I knew that would end up happening. And I was right. A few months after we broke up, she'd moved back here."

Lucas was silent for a moment, taking in Julian's words. He wasn't surprised that he'd been the cause of their breakup. He felt bad about it, yes, but he knew that Peyton had been hung up on him for the past few years. What he didn't understand, though, was why Julian wanted to make a movie out a book he hated.

"If you hate my book so much then why do you want to make a movie out of it."

"I don't hate it anymore. I'd never actually read it until a few months ago, actually, so I didn't really know what I was missing. Peyton had left a copy of your book at my house after she moved out and a couple of months ago I found it. For some reason, I decided to open it and find out why exactly I broke up with her. I didn't expect to like it, but I couldn't deny that it was a great book, with even greater potential to be brought to the big screen. So I brought it to my bosses and they read it and agreed that it had a lot of potential. Then we called you and now here we are."

Lucas nodded slowly, remaining silent.

"Look," Julian continued, "I'm not even going to lie, Peyton is the reason I read your book. I probably would have never known about it had I not known her. But I didn't _have _to read the book. I didn't have to like it either and I definitely didn't have to want to make it into a movie. Honestly, it would have been so much easier if I just ignored the book all together and moved on from Peyton once and for all. Believe me, it would have saved me a lot of unnecessary pain. So know this, Lucas— I'm _not _here for Peyton, I'm here for you and your book, which I think has all sorts of potential to be a huge box office hit."

Julian finished, sitting back in his seat as he looked at Lucas seriously.

It was silent for a few seconds before Lucas finally spoke. "Okay."

An expression of relief fell across Julian's face. "So we're good?"

"I think so," Lucas said, nodding. "Honestly, I just wanted to make sure that you were making this movie because you wanted to make it, because you really enjoyed it and appreciated it, and not because you were using it as an ulterior motive to get a girl back."

Julian smiled. "I can assure you I have no ulterior motives."

"Good," Lucas said, smiling too, "then I think this is settled. Although I really do think you should talk to Peyton."

"I know," Julian said, sighing. "Knowing Peyton, she probably thinks I'm here for her, and I really can't blame her."

"Just for the record, Julian," Lucas said, "if anything does happen between you and Peyton while you're here, it's okay."

"I don't think anything will happen between me and Peyton," Julian said resignedly. "There was always something or someone standing in our way and I'm not sure we're strong enough to overcome it."

"I know what you mean," Lucas said, thinking of Brooke, "but sometimes you've just got to risk it and hope for the best. Relationships aren't meant to be easy."

That was especially true of him and Brooke. They'd struggled countless times back in high school and, in the end, they'd both given up. She didn't fight for him and he stopped fighting for her. If he ever was lucky enough to get a chance with her again, he'd never stop fighting for her.

"You're probably right," Julian said, "but I'm not here to win Peyton back. So I'm not gonna worry about that now. Besides, I think I've got my eye on the _other _girl from your book. Brooke Davis is definitely easy on the eyes."

And suddenly Lucas wasn't liking Julian anymore. His lips twitched into a straight line, his eyes narrowing.

Julian just laughed. "I was kidding, Lucas. But thanks for letting me know which girl I _should _stay away from."

"It's not like that with us," Lucas protested. "Brooke and I are just friends."

"Okay."

Lucas shifted in his seat, annoyed. "I'm serious, Julian. Now if you're really here to bug me about my love life, I suggest you leave now because my life is no longer an open book."

"Fine," Julian said, still laughing. He wore a cocky grin as he leaned back in his chair. "Lucas Scott, I have to say that I think this is going to be the start of a beautiful friendship."

**888**

"Hey." Peyton kept staring at the ceiling as Brooke entered her bedroom. "So what a crazy night we've had."

Crazy was an understatement. She honestly never imagined that she'd see Julian again. She also never imagined how great it would feel to be around him once more. Despite Julian's reasons for being here, whether it was for her or not, she couldn't deny that she'd missed him more than she even knew.

Brooke laid on her back next to Peyton. "Peyton, talk to me."

Peyton let out a huff, crossing her arms stubbornly, but, after a few minutes of Brooke waiting patiently, she finally spoke.

"Was it just me or was Julian completely ignoring me?"

"No," Brooke said, chuckling softly, "it wasn't just you."

"It's like Julian didn't even want to see me."

Brooke put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "I'm sure he wanted to. He probably just didn't want to cause a scene."

Peyton let out a long sigh, still glaring at the boring white ceiling. She made a mental note to paint something up there soon since she tended to stare at it a lot.

"You could still go down and talk to him, you know."

"I'm not sure I'm ready."

"I don't blame you..."

They fell into silence again, something Peyton was happy for, but then Brooke spoke again.

"So how do you _really _feel about all this? Because you don't seem very happy to see Julian again."

"I _am _happy to see him," Peyton said in frustration. She sat up, sighing as she leaned against the headboard of the bed. "That's the problem."

Brooke sat up with her, putting an arm around her shoulder. "Why is that a problem?"

"I don't even know."

Seeing Julian again brought back all these old feelings. Feelings she thought were long gone. But she'd broken Julian's heart once and she wouldn't do it again, even though there was no Lucas to come between them this time. Truthfully, though, Peyton was afraid of getting her own heart broken again. After Lucas, Julian, and Jake, she was tired of being left alone.

She and Julian didn't do well as friends. They were always more than that. And, with him back in her life, who was she to say that things had changed, that they could be just friends? The fact of the matter was that they couldn't. Which, in turn, meant that, inevitably, someone's heart would be broken in the end. Whose that heart would be, she didn't know. All she knew was that she didn't want it to be either of them and _that _was the problem.

**888**

Brooke flopped down next to Lucas on the couch. He sent her a tired smile as she sank into the warm cushions, resting her feet on Lucas' lap. Julian had left a little while ago and Brooke had just left Peyton upstairs.

"That was definitely an interesting night," Brooke said.

Lucas chuckled softly. "Yes, it was."

"Are you okay with it?" she asked as she sat up to lean against the arm of the couch.

"After I got over the shock, yes, I was actually fine with it. Julian and I had a good talk while you and Peyton were upstairs and I really think he means well."

"Well, I guess that's good."

Lucas nodded and they lapsed into a comfortable silence. One of his hands slid up and down her bare leg, his other massaging her foot and, for a few moments, everything was perfect.

Then she remembered the conversation she'd had with Peyton right before Lucas had brought Julian over and suddenly she felt oddly uncomfortable. Lucas didn't seem to notice, though; he stared absently at the blank TV screen in front of them, obviously lost in his own thoughts.

She, however, was feeling more than conflicted. This whole situation with Julian and Peyton had deterred her from dwelling on the complicated question Peyton had asked her a few hours ago, something that was probably for the better, but now that she was alone with Lucas, she was suddenly overcome with the guilt of feeling something that she definitely shouldn't be feeling.

As Lucas' hands gently grazed her bare skin, she became acutely aware of just how intimate of a position they were in. It wasn't like this was new for them— Lucas touched her all the time — but now, after she's spent the last few days continuously denying her feelings for him, this situation held a lot more meaning.

For the first time in a very long time, she could deny it no longer— she _wanted _him. She wanted to feel his lips against hers, to feel his body press against hers in a way it hadn't for so many years. She wanted to touch him in ways she dared not do now. She wanted to call him boyfriend again and for him to call her his Pretty Girl. She wanted to tell him that she didn't just love him, she was _in _love with him. She wanted to so badly it hurt.

But she didn't. Because, even if he felt the same way, it wouldn't work between them. It never did. And she wasn't going to let her heart get broken again. She just couldn't.

Suddenly Lucas' hand was touching her cheek as he bent over to look at her.

"Is something wrong?"

Yes, everything was wrong. She was once again falling for Lucas Scott, which only meant trouble, and she hated herself for it.

"I'm just tired," she said, removing herself from his now excruciating hold and standing up. As she stood at the edge of the stairs, she turned to look at him one last time. She didn't want to leave him on a bad note.

"Night, Luke," she said quietly.

He nodded, but, before she could make a move, he was standing in front of her again. Her breath hitched in her throat as he tucked a stray hair behind her ear. He was smiling softly down at her and she could tell that he was worried about her. Then his hands moved to rest on her hips and she wasn't sure how much more she could take. Was he _trying _to make her go crazy?

"Are you sure you're okay? You're not thinking about the attack, are you."

The attack was the furthest thing from her mind.

"No, I'm not," she assured him. "And I'm fine, really."

He stared into her eyes, as if trying to make sure she was telling the truth, but then he simply nodded, letting her off the hook. Her eyes fell to his chest, which was only inches away from her own body, and then he was pulling her into a hug. She dug her face into the crook of his neck, unable to help herself.

When they pulled a part, their eyes met and, in that moment, she had never been more tempted to kiss Lucas Scott. She almost gave in, too, but then common sense kicked in and she quickly pulled away from him, backing up towards the stairs.

"I'll see you tomorrow," she said, her voice shaky.

Lucas looked confused. "Yeah..."

Then she flew up the stairs, making it to her bedroom in record speed, and slammed the door behind her. She slid down the bedroom door, wrapping her arms around her knees.

Tonight had been a turning point in more ways than one. She'd realized that her feelings for Lucas were too strong to bury again. She was in love with him, she couldn't deny it anymore. And, during that brief moment that they'd stood in her living room, locked in a warm embrace, she was pretty sure that he was in love with her too.

And that scared her more than anything.

* * *

**A/N: **I know that most of this chapter focused mostly on Pulian/Peyton and I'm sorry for that! Most of you are reading for Brucas, so I know that this chapter wasn't what you were hoping for, but I hope that little bit at the end was enough to tide you over!

Thanks for reading and please remember to review!


	12. Acceptance

**Acceptance **

This was it.

Peyton had been continuously debating with herself on whether or not she should actually go see Julian, but, after realizing that there was no way she could actually concentrate on her work until she got this settled, she knew she had to swallow her pride and take some action.

But now, as she stood in front of his hotel room door, she was more nervous than she wanted to be. She wasn't even sure why, but she was pretty sure it had to do with those obnoxious feelings that immediately surfaced after laying eyes on Julian last night. She wasn't proud of the way she so easily fell for him, especially since the two had barely exchanged a word to each other, and that was why she wouldn't let Julian Baker get to her this time. She was independent now. She didn't need a guy to be happy. Besides, it wasn't like Peyton was going to see him to get him back. No, she was just there to make sure his intentions with the movie were purely business.

After a good five minutes of standing there staring blankly at the door, she finally knocked. It took only a second for him to answer. Julian seemed genuinely happy to see her, that cute grin taking over his lips as he caught sight of her.

"Well, this is a surprise, although I have to say that I was hoping you'd stop by. We didn't get much of a chance to talk yesterday."

He was putting on that charming act of his. He had always liked to make her smile.

"Yeah, well, that wasn't exactly my fault was it?"

He frowned. "I didn't say it was. I know that I didn't put much of an effort into speaking with you last night, but you have to understand that I was there for Lucas. I didn't want to make the night about us."

He had a point, but that didn't mean she still couldn't be annoyed with him.

"I know and I get that, but it's been over a year since we've seen each and I think that I deserved a little more than a 'hey, Peyton.'"

"You're right," Julian said, "and I'm sorry. Why don't you come inside and we can talk. I don't want things between us to be awkward, especially since we're going to be seeing a lot of each other during the next few months."

Peyton sighed, crossing her arms over her chest. She didn't come here for small talk. She needed answers.

"Julian, why are you here?"

He looked taken back by her question. "For the movie."

"And that's why you're _really _here?"

His expression softened and then he opened his door wider, stepping aside so that she could come inside. "Please come in, Peyton. We need to talk."

Knowing that he was right, she just nodded before slipping inside.

**888**

Brooke wasn't having a good day. She'd barely gotten any sleep last night, thanks to Lucas and her unstoppable thoughts concerning him. She hated that he'd taken control of her life over night. He didn't even know he had, either, and that was the toughest part.

Added to that, since the store was insanely busy and, since Millicent still wasn't back yet, Lucas had made sure that he was around to help, meaning there was literally no way she could escape him. She'd put on a front and tried her best to act normal around him. She was pretty sure he hadn't noticed a change in her behavior, but she didn't know how long she could keep her act up. After years of successfully burying her feelings for Lucas, it was nearly impossible to pretend that they weren't there anymore after her little epiphany last night. Just one moment had changed everything for her. She just hoped that she'd be able to bury her feelings once more because if she couldn't, then there was no doubt in her mind that her friendship with Lucas was screwed.

Luckily, Lucas had left after lunch. He needed to start working on the script and it would probably take up the rest of his night, meaning he wouldn't be able to drop by her house for their usual dinner. For once, she was happy about that, eager for any escape from him and her unwanted feelings.

"So, today was pretty crazy," Haley said, locking the front door.

Brooke fell onto the couch. "I know. The costumers just kept coming. Thanks so much for helping out, though. I feel so bad for taking away your Saturday. You should be spending it with your family."

"I don't mind at all, Brooke. I'm here to help, remember? Besides, I spent the morning with Jamie and Nathan and we've got all of tomorrow to spend together."

"Yeah..."

Brooke let out a lengthy sigh, lifting her tired feet up onto the couch. She closed her eyes, not looking forward to getting up again. She was pretty sure she was about to fall asleep right then and there.

"Are you ever gonna tell me what's been bothering you?"

One of her eyes popped open as she looked at Haley curiously.

"What do you mean?"

"You've been acting weird all day," Haley said, moving Brooke's legs so that she could sit on the couch with her.

"No, I haven't."

"Yes, I'm pretty sure you have."

Brooke sat up, eyes narrowed. "Haley, I'm tired and irritable and I _really _don't want to talk about it."

"Ah, so you're admitting that there _is _something bothering you."

She threw up her hands in frustration. "Obviously."

Haley chuckled. "Can I take a guess then?"

"No. Didn't I just say I didn't want to talk about it?"

"Yeah, but you know I'm too nosey for my own good. In all seriousness, Brooke, I just want to help you."

Brooke sighed again, her eyes falling to the floor. "I know..."

She could tell Haley about Lucas, but then she would actually be admitting her feelings out loud and that would just make everything more real. If she kept it inside, though, she was pretty sure she'd explode.

So, with a burst of courage, she decided to tell her.

"I'm just...I'm juggling some weird..._feelings_ for someone and—."

"Lucas."

Of course Haley would jump to that conclusion. She was right, though.

"Yeah."

For some reason, Haley didn't seem surprised. She just looked at Brooke expectantly. "Go on."

"Well, I guess I'm just worried that these feelings might get in the way of our friendship."

"I see. And what exactly _are _these feelings, if you don't mind me asking?"

Brooke sent her an exasperated look. "You know what I mean."

"No, because you're not being very specific. Are you just feeling attracted to him again or do the feelings go deeper?"

"They go deeper," she admitted. "_Way _deeper."

"So you're in love with him," Haley stated.

She took a deep breath, not sure if she was ready to admit it. "Yeah...I think so."

That wasn't as bad as she thought. Actually, she felt a little better now that she'd said it out loud. She was a little surprised, though, when Haley's face lit up with a more than happy smile.

"Oh, Brooke." Haley pulled her into her arms. Brooke remained frozen, confused, and then Haley finally let her go. "I'm so happy for you."

"Why?" Brooke asked. "It's not like this means Lucas and I are getting back together. In fact, this is a bad thing. I spend almost every second of every day with him and now I have to go through it trying so hard to hold down these feelings so our friendship doesn't get ruined by my _stupid_ emotions!"

"This is not a bad thing," Haley calmed her. "Really, it's actually a good thing. I've been waiting for you and Lucas to get back together ever since you took care of Angie. I mean, seriously, I think _every _one of us can see how crazy you two are for each other."

"You don't know that he feels the same way about me."

"You're right, he hasn't come right to me and told me that he's in love with you, but I do know Lucas better than almost anyone and I can tell you right now that his feelings for you go beyond friendship. Even Karen knows that."

She looked at Haley in surprise. "What?"

"Karen and I were making bets on when you two would get back together while she was here."

Brooke groaned, throwing her face into her hands. "Haley, this isn't something you bet over. My relationship with Lucas is serious, okay? It's not something I can ever take lightly, especially considering the fact that he and I always end up badly. So you might as well just stop with the bets because it's not happening. It really isn't."

"Brooke." Haley put a hand on her arm. "I'm sorry. I was kidding about the bets, actually, but I get your point and you're right. This is serious. I know that Lucas has broken your heart many times and so I can understand why you'd want to guard your heart."

"I just can't go through it again," Brooke murmured.

Haley's arm wrapped around her shoulder. "I know, but do you ever think that maybe you and Lucas could work together now? Peyton's no longer standing in your way and you've both grown so much since you were last together. Maybe you and Lucas didn't end well in high school, but who's to say that now, five and a half years later, he and you couldn't work?"

Haley had a point, but she still couldn't risk losing her friendship with Lucas. They'd worked to hard to build it. So she told Haley that.

"I can't jeopardize our friendship. He's my best friend, Haley. I can't risk losing that. I just can't."

"I get that, but do you really think that you can spend the rest of your life settling for friendship when there's always that chance that you could have something more. Like I said, there's no telling that a relationship would end badly."

"It would."

"But how do you know that?"

"I just do."

Haley shook her head adamantly, obviously not agreeing. "He's hurt you, Brooke. I get that, I do, but that doesn't mean that he's going to do it again. Why can't you just see that you and Lucas have all the potential in the world to have a healthy relationship that can actually last?"

Brooke looked away. She knew Haley was right; she and Lucas had the chance to actually work, but she was scared. She was scared of getting hurt again. That was how she always felt when it came to Lucas. She could say all she wanted that she was afraid of losing her friendship with him, but she knew the real reason was that she couldn't bear to get her heart broken again.

Before she could say anything else, though, Haley spoke again, this time softly.

"I'm sorry, Brooke. I know this is tough on you. I shouldn't be forcing all my opinions on you. I just want you to be happy, that's all."

Brooke smiled gently at her friend, nodding. "I know and I appreciate that, Haley. It's just that I only came to realize my feelings for him last night and I still have so much to think about."

"You know, I'm pretty proud of you," Haley said, smiling at her. "You could've just kept all your feelings about Lucas to yourself, but instead you opened up about it. That's a brave thing to do."

"Yeah, well, if I've learned anything these past few weeks it's that trying to deal with the tough stuff by yourself just isn't worth it."

"You're going to get through this, Brooke," Haley said, her grip around Brooke's shoulder tightening. "I don't know how things will turn out, but I know every thing's going to be okay."

Brooke just nodded, hoping with everything she had that Haley was right.

**888**

"Have a seat," Julian said, motioning to one of the chairs at the small table situated near the window of his room. She obliged and Julian sat across from her. He looked determined, as if he was getting ready to defend himself to her. She just sat there quietly, waiting for him to explain.

"You should know that Lucas and I have already talked long and hard about this," he began. "He trusts me."

"And that's great, Julian, but he doesn't know you like I do. You hated his book. As a matter of fact, I can't even count the amount of times you made some snarky comment about it. So you can imagine that I'm having a hard time understanding why you'd want to make a movie out of it."

"I'll be the first to admit that I hated his book. I told Lucas that too. But then I read it and it was actually pretty amazing."

"So you decided it was just so amazing that you had to make a movie out of it?"

Julian shrugged. "If you haven't noticed, most movies nowadays are based on books. Not very original, but hey, we've got to make a living somehow."

"That's not what I meant," Peyton said, sending him a pointed look. "I've seen you read plenty of books and you didn't even attempt to make one of them into a movie. I want to know what makes Lucas' so different."

Julian let out a sigh, leaning his elbows onto the table and resting his chin in his hands. "I don't know..."

Now she was getting somewhere. "You don't?"

"Actually," he said, his confidence returning, "I do. I chose his book because I felt close to it. Because I knew one of the characters in the book personally and because, in many ways, I could relate to it. The characters weren't just characters, they were real people, people who I'd heard about countless times, people who I was interested in meeting. Honestly, I wouldn't have rushed to my boss and asked him to take a look at the book if I hadn't known the background of it in the first place, but it was good and I was looking for material anyway. But that's probably not what you wanted to hear, was it? You wanted to hear me say that I'm only here because I wanted to see you and that I don't actually care about the book or the movie."

Peyton's eyes narrowed in anger and she began to protest, but he cut her off.

"I'm sorry, Peyton, but I just won't admit that because it's not true. Yes, I knew that by coming here I'd see you and yes, I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't looking forward to seeing you again, but no, I did not come here to get you back or interfere in your life in anyway. I came here to make a movie and then I'll be out of your hair once more."

She felt a little bad now as he stared at her, his eyes defiant. It was hard not to believe him, either, and she wondered why she couldn't just give him the benefit of the doubt in the first place. Julian might have come from a greedy and manipulative business, but that didn't mean he was either of those two things.

Before she could say anything, his hand reached over the table to touch hers. His gaze softened as he looked at her.

"I really need you to believe me, because I don't think I could stay here in good conscious if you don't. I swear that if you have any problem with me being here, I'll pack up and leave."

"I don't think that will be necessary," Peyton said, smiling gently at him. "I'm sorry that I've put so little faith in you, Julian. I didn't mean to come off as if I'm angry with you, because I'm not. I guess I'm just worried about Lucas. He cares a lot about that book and I just wanted to know that you weren't here to mess with him or the book."

"I'm not, I promise you that."

"And I believe you. Honestly, there's no one else I'd rather have produce this movie than you."

"Really?" he asked, surprised.

"Of course. You're amazing at what you do. I know this movie's going to be great."

Julian grinned, leaning back in his chair in relief. "That means so much coming from you. I know I didn't need your permission to do this movie, but it's good to know that I've got your blessing."

"I'm glad." Peyton smiled, standing up. "Well, I guess that's all I needed to hear."

Julian nodded, leading her back to the door. "You know I really can't lie, it's more than great to see you again. You're still as beautiful as ever."

"And you're still a flatterer, I see," Peyton said with a grin. She stepped outside, turning around one last time to say goodbye. "I'll see you around."

Julian nodded, sending her a soft smile, and then she turned to leave. Just as she reached the end of the hall, however, Julian called her name. She turned around again to see him walking towards her.

"Okay, I know this might be overstepping some boundaries, but would you be completely opposed to having dinner with me tonight? We didn't get a chance to catch up last night and I really want to know how things are going with you."

For a moment, she debated over whether it was a good idea to go out to dinner with him. It wasn't like it was a date, but it was her and Julian and they never did well with just hanging out. They tended to end up making out or more, which obviously led her to worry that tonight would lead her to that. But she knew he wouldn't do that. He wasn't here to get her back and she believed that.

So she nodded, knowing that it would be okay. "I would love to, actually."

**888**

His car was in her driveway when Brooke arrived home, which surprised her since Lucas had said he was going to be working on his script most of the evening. As she made her way up the porch, she didn't know if it was a good thing or a bad thing that he was there. On one hand, she missed him like crazy, which she supposed came with the territory of being in love. On the other hand, she wasn't sure she'd be able to control herself around him. It had been hard enough at the store earlier with customers around, but just him and her all alone in her empty house would be unbearable.

He'd obviously let himself into the house. She didn't mind, though. Actually, she liked that he was comfortable enough with her to make himself at home in her home.

She was met with the sight of him lounging on the couch, his eyes glued to a basketball game on TV.

"Well, well, what a surprise," she said, setting her keys down on the counter.

He turned around, his face lighting up in a smile at the sight of her. "Hi, Pretty Girl."

_Pretty Girl_? She felt her heart go weak. He hadn't called her that in so long. She was momentarily silenced as she turned away from him, her hands grasping the kitchen sink tightly as she tried to get over the rush of memories and feelings those two words brought.

She could hear Lucas come up behind her and she wondered if he noticed her reaction to his old name for her. His hand fell to her shoulder and she turned around, forcing a smile onto her face.

"I'm sorry," he said, "that kind of slipped out."

"It's okay," she said and she was actually glad that he noticed how the name had affected her. "It's just been so long since you've last called me that."

Lucas nodded. "I guess I can't help it. I mean you are a _very_ pretty girl."

She chuckled softly, crossing her arms as she leaned against the counter. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, I'm giving you permission to call me that any time you like. I kind of missed it."

And she really did. Yes, hearing him say it reminded her of everything they'd had and still could have, but it also brought on an overwhelming sense of safety and nostalgia, something she found she didn't mind at all.

He looked more than happy to hear that, something she found cute. "I missed it too."

"So, aren't you supposed to working on that script of yours?"

"Yes, actually, but I've been working on it most of the afternoon and I needed I break, so I decided to come over hear and order some pizza for us both. How does that sound?"

"That sounds great, actually. I'm dying of hunger."

"Well, it should be here anytime now, so have a seat and watch some basketball with me."

"Oh no," Brooke said, throwing him a playful grin as they both wandered back into the living room, "I'm _not _watching basketball. I've had a long day and I need something fun to watch."

Lucas mocked a pout as they took a seat on the couch. "You're not gonna make me watch another marathon of Sex and the City, are you?"

She laughed. "Come on, Luke, I know you secretly love that show."

"I really don't," he said, looking disgusted at the thought. "I just watch it for you."

"Aw, that's sweet." She lifted her feet to rest on the coffee table. "Okay, I'll watch basketball with you until we're done with dinner and then you should go home and work on that script of yours. Deal?"

Lucas grinned, looking pleased. "Deal."

She smiled as she watched Lucas relax and get lost in the game. It was funny how she was still so comfortable around him. Last night had been awkward, but now everything was normal. It was a huge relief, actually. Maybe burying her feelings again wasn't going to be as hard as she thought.

**888**

Lucas couldn't believe how late it was getting when he finally took a break from writing to glance at the clock. It was almost one in the morning. He didn't know why he was still writing. It wasn't like Julian wanted the script done by tomorrow, but somehow he just couldn't pull himself away. It was like he was reading his book in a new light and he had to make it better than before, but with a shorter amount of material to work with.

He was pretty sure, though, that the reason he was so stuck on writing was because of the particular section of the book he translating to the script. It was when he was dating Brooke. More specifically, it was when they were going through their nonexclusive days.

"_I wanted you to fight for me. I wanted you to say there is no one else that you could ever be with and that you would rather be alone than without me. I wanted the Lucas Scott from the beach that night; telling the world that he's the one for me."_

"_How was I supposed to know that?"_

"_You just are."_

Lucas stopped writing, giving his fingers a well deserved break. His eyes, however, were still glued to the screen. He remembered that night so well, when everything was so complicated between them, yet so simple. He knew how she felt about him and she knew how he felt about her. All they had to do was make the choice to be together.

Sometimes he wished he could go back in time and relive those times they'd shared. They'd been so in love. No one could deny that. He remembered a time when he imagined marrying her and having a family with her. It seemed so long ago. He still didn't even understand how they'd gone so quickly from being so happy and in love to broken up and so distant from each other.

She'd just broken up with him out of the blue, claiming that she stopped missing him and that it had nothing to do with Peyton. He still wasn't sure he believed that. There was something else to it and he was pretty sure it had to do with Peyton, most likely the kiss in the library. But the kiss hadn't meant anything to him. He'd wanted Brooke and only Brooke. But she hadn't understood that and, in the end, that had been their downfall. That and the fact that he'd stopped fighting for her. And she'd wanted him to keep fighting. He knew that and yet he had given up. If he'd just kept fighting, who knew where they'd be now. They could have been married with kids...

He pushed his chair back from the computer, running a restless hand through his hair. He couldn't think about that— about what could have been. It was too hard for him to think about the fact that he could have everything he dreamed of if only he hadn't given up on Brooke. It always left him wishing that he could go back and do everything possible to get her back.

His eyes fell down to his open book— the original draft of his book, full of material that had been edited out of the published book— and another paragraph caught his eye, this being one of the scenes that was cut.

"_Do you really think there's one person in this entire planet that's right for you?" _

"_I do."  
_

"_Okay…What about Peyton? I heard you once had the same feelings for her? Maybe we're still in high school and you haven't met the one."  
_

"_But I have. It's Brooke." _

He let out a breath he didn't even know he'd been holding. It was as if a light had gone off in his brain. Brooke was the one for him. He was so sure of it, even more than last time. And he was an idiot for taking so long to realize it, but it was true. Now, reading that scene over and over, he knew that without a doubt.

He'd lost his way over the years, but he'd found his way back. And his way back was Brooke Davis. She always had been and she always would be. She was the girl who stood by his side as all his dreams came true. She was the girl who loved him for him, despite all his faults. She was the girl who'd remained more faithful to him than anyone else. Most of all, though, she was the girl he was in love with.

He was pretty sure he'd known that for awhile now; he just needed to finally choose to accept it. And now that he had, he was going to fight for her. He didn't know how, but he would. Because there was no way in hell that he was going to let Brooke Davis go ever again.

* * *

**A/N: **I hope this chapter made up for the mostly Peyton chapter you got last time. This was one of those chapters that didn't go the way I planned, but I say screw my outline, I'm gonna do what I want to do :D. It'll still be a little bit longer before Brooke and Lucas get back together, but I assure you that we are definitely starting to get close.

I have to say that I was so happy with all your responses to last chapter! I think I got the most reviews ever for this story, which was kind of surprising considering the lack of BL, but I'm not complaining. So thanks to each and every single one of you for reviewing! You're all amazing!

**Lena: **I've got to say, when I was writing last chapter I kept on thinking Lena isn't going to be very happy with this chapter. I felt bad about it, too, but I really needed to write it in order to get that storyline going. But I'm glad you enjoyed the Brucas at the end. I thought that would make up for the rest of the chapter ;D. I hope you enjoyed this chapter too!

**Christina: **Thanks for your awesome review! I'm glad that you enjoyed most of the last chapter despite all the Pulian. I can understand why you don't get the two of them together, but I hope that I can get you to like them just a little! For some reason I really like the two of them together. I think it's because they're so different. Peyton's broody and Julian's cheery :D. That's kind of how I see it and I think the opposites attract kind of relationships are super cute. Don't worry, though, I won't be focusing on them nearly as much as Brucas. As for Naley, I'm definitely going to try to include them in here more. I didn't mean for them to become such minor characters, but I kind of got caught up in all the other characters that I forgot about them. There will be some Naley next chapter and obviously there was some Baley in this chapter, which I hope you enjoyed (you actually gave me the idea for the scene :D). I love the Baley friendship too and I really didn't meant to ignore it! This has just been a very Brucas and Breyton friendship focused fic so far and it took over the other relationships. I'm going to work on changing that!


	13. Controlled

**Controlled**

Lucas couldn't concentrate at all. He was with Nathan at the Rivercourt for they Sunday morning ritual of shooting hoops, but there was too much on his mind to get a proper shot in. Nathan noticed this, of course, and it didn't take long for his brother to sit him down on the benches and ask what was going on.

"Nothing," Lucas said, waving him off.

That wasn't true, though. He couldn't stop thinking of Brooke and how he was going to get her back. Obviously he couldn't rush anything; Brooke's heart had always been fragile and he needed to treat it with respect and care. So he'd just have to start off slowly. The problem was, he felt like he'd long ago started to prove just how much he cared about her, meaning a lot of progress had already been made. This, in turn, meant that he could either continue on at the pace they were going or step it up a notch and risk overwhelming her.

"Luke," Nathan said, once again interrupting his thoughts, "if you don't tell me what's bothering you then I'm going to have to force it out of you."

"And how are you going to do that?" Lucas asked with a smirk.

"I don't know." Nathan looked around, eyes narrowing. "Maybe I'll dunk you in the river a couple of times."

"And risk drowning me?"

"I guess that's a risk I'll have to take," Nathan said, shrugging. Then he looked at Lucas pointedly. "Don't make me do it, Luke. I don't want to lose my big brother."

Lucas laughed quietly, his eyes wandering down to the court. Peyton's drawing was fading quickly and now it was almost completely washed away. This, of course, was a relief to him; he still was a bit uncomfortable with it.

Nathan's hand gripped his shoulder and his little brother simply glanced back and forth between him and the water. Lucas laughed again, shrugging Nathan's hand off. He knew he could trust Nathan with his dilemma with Brooke, he was just worried how his brother would take it. Lucas had been with Lindsay a few months ago, so he wouldn't be surprised if Nathan questioned his feelings. But Nathan would have his back; he knew that without a doubt.

"Okay, what I'm about to tell is confidential until further notice."

"Okay."

He decided to just get straight to the point instead of beating around the bush. "I'm in love with Brooke."

For a few moments, the two brothers were both completely silent. Nathan's face remained expressionless, while Lucas waited patiently for him to respond.

"And you're sure about that?" he finally asked. "Because you've been in love with a lot of girls recently and I really don't want to see you breaking another one's heart."

"I know I have, but I've never been more sure of anything in my life. I want to spend the rest of my life with her. She's the one for me."

He smiled as he realized that he'd said that same thing years ago on this very court.

Nathan slowly nodded, his eyes focused on the basketball court in front of them. "Okay..."

"You believe me?" he asked, relieved that Nathan wasn't questioning him any more.

"You're pretty messed up when it comes to love, but I think when it comes to you and Brooke, you know that you've got to take this seriously. I mean this is a pretty huge deal, Lucas."

"I know."

"So what are you going to do about it?"

"I'm going to fight for her."

Nathan didn't respond to that right away and Lucas could tell by the way that Nathan was looking away from him, that he didn't think that was the right thing to do.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"Well, what else can I do? I've hurt Brooke too much for her to even think about making a move with me. If something's going to happen between us, I've got to be the one to initiate it."

"You're probably right, but...I know this might sound bad, but do you even know if she feels the same way about you?"

"No," he admitted.

He wasn't assuming that she felt the same, but for some reason, as arrogant as it sounded, he could almost sense that she loved him too. It was in the way she acted around him and the way they were just so connected and comfortable around each other. It wasn't like their friendship was one sided. But still, he didn't know for sure, and it probably wasn't a good idea to make a move if he wasn't sure she felt the same way he did. That would just ruin their friendship and he couldn't risk that.

"So do you think I shouldn't do anything?" Lucas asked, a little frustrated.

"I'm not saying you shouldn't fight for her," Nathan said, now looking more sympathetic. "I'm just saying that you need to be careful. Brooke's been through a lot this past month and she doesn't need the added stress of you coming on to her again. You know you've broken her heart more than once and I'm sure she doesn't want that to happen again."

Lucas nodded slowly. Nathan was right; Brooke was still recovering from the attack and to bring this all on her now wouldn't be fair. And Nathan was right about him breaking Brooke's heart too. He wasn't going to do that again, though.

"You're right," he said, standing up, "she's too fragile right now. I won't try anything."

Nathan followed Lucas back onto the court. "Lucas," he said before Lucas could wander back over to his car. "I'm sorry if it seems like I'm not being supportive; I'm just worried about Brooke. But don't think I'm not worried about you, either. I want you to be happy and if that's with Brooke than I couldn't be more thrilled."

Lucas sent his brother a soft smile. "Thanks."

"And hey, if it's any consolation, I don't think you should worry about her not feeling the same because to be honest, I don't she's ever stopped loving you."

"Really?" he asked, more than surprised.

"Yeah...you both are really obvious."

Nathan threw Lucas the basketball, smiling teasingly at him, but Lucas felt a wave of relief rush through him. If Nathan believed that Brooke was in love with him, then maybe he didn't have nearly as much to worry about.

Of course he knew that he was going to have to take things slowly. He wasn't going to force himself on Brooke, especially now, so he would have to be patient and try his best to control his feelings around her. He let out a long sigh, not happy with that though; controlling himself, particularly around Brooke, had never been his strong suit.

**888**

Brooke opened the front door, flipping the switch to light up her previously dark, but still empty house. It was a Sunday night and, after spending most of the day at her closed store working on inventory, she was surprisingly not very tired. Unlike last night, though, Lucas wasn't there to greet her after work, which was actually her fault since she'd practically forced him to stay home and work on his script. She hadn't seen much of him today, actually, which bothered her more than she wanted to admit. He came by the store in the morning, but he had to meet Julian for lunch and he hadn't come by after that.

So now she was alone for the night, at least until Peyton came home, which would be who knows when. Her best friend was still at the studio and it didn't seem like she'd be coming home anytime soon. She made her way into the kitchen to find something suitable to eat. As she pulled out the leftover pizza she and Lucas shared the night before, she realized that she hadn't been by herself at night since before the attack. It was kind of lonely, now that she thought about it, and she really wished she had someone to keep her company, but at the same time it felt nice to be independent again and to be back in the routine of her normal life.

The doorbell rang just as she pulled the pizza from the microwave and she smiled, hoping it was who she thought it was. Lucas tended to let himself in nowadays, though, which immediately turned her smile into a frown because that meant it wasn't him.

She was really annoying herself with her half-hearted attempts to bury her feelings for him again. She was supposed to be trying to distance herself from him, not getting even closer. But it was impossible to try to stay away from him when she found that she depended on him more than anyone. If she was going to try to get rid of her feelings, she was going to have to find a way other than avoiding him to do it.

When she opened the door, her annoyance grew even more. Taking one look at the man standing in front of her, she let out a grunt of displeasure.

"Okay, I so don't need this right now."

"Brooke," he said, putting his hand up to stop the door that she was in the process of closing, "can you please just hear me out?"

She sent him a feisty glare. "I'm not in the mood for your excuses, Owen."

The bartender sighed heavily, frowning down at the ground. She could tell he was feeling incredibly guilty.

"I'm sorry for everything," he said simply.

"So you've told me."

"I just...I want you to know that I mean it. I never meant to leave like that. It wasn't fair to you or to us and I've regretted it ever since."

"Is there anything else you regret?" she asked, cocking an eyebrow. He didn't know that she knew about him and Peyton and she wanted to see if she could get it out of him.

For a second, he looked confused, but then it dawned on him. "Peyton told you."

Brooke nodded, crossing her arms as she stared him down coldly.

Owen looked away from her, shaking his head. "I'm sorry. That's all I can say. I didn't want to tell you because I thought it would hurt you."

"And that it would make me think even less of you?"

"To be honest, yeah. Can you blame me, though? I mean, I was a big enough jerk in the first place, so sleeping with your best friend would pretty much destroy your image of me. And, judging by the way you're acting now, I can see it has."

"And can you blame _me_ for that? You left without so much as a goodbye just because the idea of me taking care of a kid freaked you out and then, after taking months to come back and apologize, you sleep with my best friend and never plan on telling me about it."

"Of course I can't blame you," he said. "What I did was wrong, plain and simple, and I regret it— _all_ of it. Look, I'm not here to try to get you back or to defend myself. I just wanted you to know that I truly am sorry. You're an amazing girl and I was an idiot to treat you the way I did. I hope someday you can forgive me."

He turned to leave, his shoulders sagging in defeat, and, as she watched him walk away, she felt herself soften. Owen really was a good guy and he was genuinely sorry for what he did. She realized now that she wasn't even angry with him anymore. She didn't even really care at this point, actually. So she might as well free him of his guilt and let him know it was okay, he was forgiven.

"Owen," she said, following out to the street. He paused on the sidewalk, turning back to look at her with sad eyes. "I forgive you."

He cocked his head to the side, clearly surprised. "Really?"

She nodded. "Yeah. You're a good guy deep down, you've shown that to me many times, and we all screw up, so it's okay. It's all in the past and that's where it'll stay."

"So you think we can start over?" he asked hopefully. "Our friendship, I mean. I know that you and I don't stand much of a chance as a couple, but I wouldn't want to lose you as a friend."

"You're right, I don't think we'll ever be together again, but I think we can definitely try to be friends."

Owen was beaming at her and she knew that her words were a relief to him.

"So can I get a little hug, maybe?" he said, opening his arms. "You know how Italians love hugs."

She laughed, realizing that she actually did kind of miss Owen. "Why not?"

His smile grew and he pulled her into his arms, letting him hold her close for a few seconds, and she was glad that things were working out between them. She didn't like holding grudges against people; it was too much work.

She pulled away at the sound of someone clearing their throat and was surprised to see Lucas standing behind Owen. His eyes were locked onto Owen, a frown etched on his lips, and he didn't look very happy.

"Hi, Lucas," Owen said, taking a step back from Brooke.

Lucas didn't say anything; he just stared Owen down, looking much less than friendly. Brooke didn't know why Lucas was acting so coldly towards Owen, although she guessed it was because he wasn't exactly fond of how Owen had treated her, especially after Peyton. But there was something else there, too, something that looked strangely like jealousy.

"I'm gonna go," Owen said, looking back at Brooke and sending her a smile. "I guess I'll see you around."

Lucas' gaze followed Owen as he jumped into his truck and disappeared down the road. Finally, Lucas looked back at her. She just cocked an eyebrow, not knowing exactly what to say after that awkward moment.

"What was that?" he asked, anger in his voice.

"Owen came by to apologize and I decided to let him off the hook," she said simply. She could understand why he would be cold to Owen, but not to her.

His eyes narrowed. "So you're getting back together with that jerk?"

She couldn't help but laugh. "Don't be stupid, of course not."

He didn't seem so amused. He ran a hand through his hair, letting out a long sigh.

"Why do you even care, anyway?" she asked him.

This obviously wasn't the question to ask and she regretted it a second later, knowing it was a stupid question in the first place. His eyes pierced through hers, his gaze so intense that she almost looked away.

"Why do I care?" he asked, his voice rising dangerously. "I care because I care about _you _and I don't want you with someone whose going to going to treat you the way he treated you."

"Owen's not as bad as you make him out to be."

Lucas shook his head, his jaw set with the anger that he was trying to hold back. She almost felt like she was provoking him on purpose, but she couldn't help it. She didn't like it when guys thought that they had more of a say in her life than she did.

He opened his mouth to say something, but then he stopped, licking his lips in frustration. Without another word, he turned around and stalked towards his car.

She chased after him. "Where are you going?"

"Home."

"Lucas, what the hell is your problem?"

He glared ahead at the window shield, his fingers gripping the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles were white. "I have to go."

"Luke—."

But he backed the car away before she could say anything else and, a second later, his car was nowhere in sight.

She stepped back onto the sidewalk. Her mind was reeling with confusion. Why was he acting this way? All he'd seen was friendly hug between her and Owen. She was pretty sure, though, that she knew why he was behaving this way. There was only one explanation, really, and that was that he was jealous. That, in turn, meant that he had feelings for her, which scared her even more than her own feelings. Because if Lucas was in love with her too, then they were both on the same page and, in her mind, that was just a recipe for disaster.

**888**

Peyton was in a great mood. She wasn't sure what it was, but she just couldn't stop smiling. Maybe it was the awesome recording session she'd just had with Haley or the long conversation she'd just had with Mia about how great the tour was going. Maybe, though, it had to do with her lunch with Julian that she couldn't get out of her mind. She was pretty sure it was a combination of the three.

She couldn't deny that she loved hanging out with Julian. She'd missed his quirky mannerisms and the way he always made her laugh. It helped that he was being a perfect gentleman with her, too, not even coming close to making anything of the dinner they'd had the night before or their lunch today anything more than a meal with friends. She knew now more than ever that his intentions in Tree Hill were pure. He wasn't there to cause chaos or to get her back. He was just there to make a movie. That didn't mean he couldn't hang out with an old friend every now and then, though, as she'd reminded him again at lunch today.

"What's got you smiling?"

Peyton glanced over at Brooke, who was sitting at the kitchen table, eating.

"Oh, nothing," Peyton said, sitting down across from Brooke. "It's just been a good day."

Surprisingly, Brooke didn't continue pestering her like she normally would. She just looked back down at her pizza, eating in silence.

"Is something wrong?" Peyton asked.

Brooke shook her head absently. "Nope..."

In other words, yes, something was definitely wrong.

"Brooke," she said, putting a hand over Brooke's, "what's going on?"

Her best friend sighed, looking at her with tired eyes. "It's nothing, really. Lucas and I...we just had a little fight."

"What happened?"

"I don't even know...Owen came by to apologize and I decided I was done being mad, so I forgave him, and then we were hugging outside the house and Lucas saw and he got all flustered and that caused me to get flustered and then he just drove off."

"Do you think that Lucas might have been jealous?" Peyton hesitantly asked. She knew that this would likely be a sore spot for Brooke, since she knew Brooke well enough to know that any thought of Lucas still having feelings for Brooke would freak her out.

Brooke shrugged, covering her face with her hands tiredly. "I don't really want to talk about this right now, okay?"

"Okay..." Peyton didn't want to force Brooke to open up about the taboo subject of how she felt for Lucas, but Peyton had a feeling that, even though she hadn't yet admitted it, Brooke was most definitely juggling feelings for their ex-boyfriend. "But if you change your mind, I'm here."

"Thanks," Brooke said, sending her a grateful smile.

Peyton just nodded and then playfully stole a slice of pizza off of Brooke's plate. Brooke glared playfully at her and Peyton was glad to see her in a less broody mood.

She just hoped that Brooke would feel comfortable enough to open up about her feelings for Lucas soon, because she was more than curious about it. She'd already told her that she'd be okay with Lucas and Brooke getting back together, so now it was just up to Brooke to trust her this time around.

**888**

Lucas didn't know why he reacted the way he did. He'd just seen her in that obnoxious guys arms and he couldn't take it. There was something about it that just set him off. Maybe it was because he was worried that Brooke wanted to be with Owen, not him. or maybe it was simply that protective mode of his, but he just hated seeing another guy holding Brooke like that. Even after Brooke had laughed at the idea of getting back together with Owen, something kept bothering him and he hadn't been able to let go.

As he drove aimlessly around town, he knew that he had overreacted. Not only that, but he'd left Brooke more than confused. He didn't think he could explain to her why he'd reacted that way, but he did think he owed her some sort of apology. He hated leaving things badly with her. It was one of the worst feelings in the world.

So, after a good hour of wasting gas, he pulled back up to her house. For a few minutes, he just sat in his car, trying to figure out how he was going to explain this to her. He could just come out with it and tell her that he wanted to be with her, that he fell in love with her all over again, and that he was the only one who he wanted her to be with. But then he remembered his conversation with Nathan and he knew that that wasn't an option. Not yet anyway.

He stepped out of the car, deciding that he'd just have to explain his reaction as best as he could without making her uncomfortable. He saw light peeking out through the curtains in the living room, so he knew either she or Peyton were awake. He hoped it was Brooke because, as much as he loved Peyton, he wasn't in the mood to talk to talk to her right now.

Luckily, it was Brooke who answered the door. There was an unfamiliar awkwardness that overtook them the second their eyes met and he quickly looked away, feeling incredibly guilty for his behavior.

"Hey," she said, breaking the silence.

His eyes wandered back to her face. She looked at him with tender eyes that told him that all was forgiven. Still, he had to apologize.

"Listen, I'm sorry about earlier. I shouldn't have made such a fuss about everything."

"It's okay."

"No, it's not. I just went off on you for no reason and it was uncalled for."

She leaned against the door frame, wrapping her arms around herself to protect herself from the cold night. He was tempted to warm her up by pulling her into his arms, but he resisted.

"What happened tonight, Luke?"

He wished he could tell her, but he couldn't. So he lied. "I had a long day and I guess I just took it out on you."

He knew she could tell that he was lying, but thankfully she didn't question him any further.

"I'm sorry, Brooke," he said again.

"I know..." She took a step towards him, pulling his hand into her own. "And I said it was okay, remember?"

He looked down at their intertwined hands, a soft smile taking over his lips. Then his eyes fell back to her face and their gazes met. He wanted to kiss her. That was really all he wanted to do. But he couldn't because he didn't want to risk hurting her right now, especially not after tonight. So instead he let his arms wrap around her. She rested her head on his chest, a soft sigh escaping her lips, and he let his chin rest on the top of her head.

And then he realized that he was probably the only guy that ever got to hold her like this. Owen's hug with her earlier had been no where near as intimate as this and he was an idiot to think it was. She let him touch her in a way she didn't let anyone else and, for some reason, he hadn't noticed that until now. It was an honor, really, for Brooke to trust him enough to let him in to this extent, but he knew now that he had to step up his game if she was going to let him all the way in. It might take some time and patience, but he was going to do it. He was going to get her back.

Just not yet.

* * *

**A/N: **Fast update, huh? I was inspired by all your amazing reviews (especially Morgan's, which got me to try my hardest to get this up tonight). Since you're all so awesome, I'm going to give you all a little spoiler right now and tell you that the end of next chapter is going to start what you've all been patiently waiting for. The reunion will be a few chapters down the road, but their feelings will soon be out in the open.

Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed!

**Lena: **Sam won't be in the story. Like you said, there's too much going on with other characters and it's too late to include her. Thanks so much for your amazing review!!!


	14. Revelation

**Revelation**

The last sheet of paper popped out of the printer and a big smile graced Lucas' lips as he stapled it to other sheets. That was it. His script was finally done. Three weeks of slaving over the computer and he'd finally gotten it right. It wasn't perfect— there were plenty of things he wished he could have kept in there that he'd had to cut— but it got the story out in an organized and believable way.

It was definitely different from his book, though. He tried to focus most on the development of his relationship with Nathan instead of focusing on his love affairs with Peyton and Brooke. It wasn't that those relationships weren't important to the story, but rather that he found that making the love triangle more of a background story and focusing mostly on basketball would help make the viewers less attached to who he ended up with at the end of the movie. It would also leave it more open-ended, which, in his opinion, was how it should be, since his own future still wasn't even decided.

Lucas relaxed back in his chair, letting out a long sigh of relief. He'd been so glued to his computer these past few weeks that he barely had time to breathe. Now he could finally take a break.

In a way, though, he'd been glad for the distraction his script had brought. This was because if it hadn't been for the script, he would have been spending a majority of his time with Brooke. This, of course, wasn't a bad thing, but, ever since he'd come to term with his feelings for her, he'd been having a hard time controlling them in her presence. It was hard for him to act like everything was normal, to go on living as they'd been living when he had such strong feelings for her.

He was trying to be patient and take things slowly, but it was a challenge when his mind was telling him one thing and his heart was telling him another. The only thing stopping him from making a move was Brooke herself. She seemed so content with the relationship they had now. There was no risk that a heart would be broken, no expectations that couldn't be lived up to. Everything was perfect.

Except that it wasn't. Not to him, anyway. He couldn't speak for Brooke, but he knew that being just friends with her wasn't going to work forever. His whole body yearned for her in ways that he hadn't known possible. He remembered back towards the end of his junior year in high school feeling a similar way towards her. But this was a hundred times worse. It was as if every second of every minute he spent with her was both pure agony and heaven on earth. He couldn't get enough of her, even though it pained him to have to stand by her as only her friend.

One thing he knew was that this couldn't go on much longer. He needed to make a move and really start fighting. He'd proven to her that he was always going to be there for her and that he'd love her no matter what, but he needed to also prove to that they could have even more than what they had now and actually make it work. They could be happy together; he just needed to get her to believe that.

Lucas heaved himself from his chair, stretching his stiff body. He'd been sitting there for hours doing a mixture of typing and reading and, more than anything, his neck was killing him. He practically fell onto his bed, immediately relaxing as he sunk into his soft mattress. His head turned to the side, his eyes falling to the box that was sitting on his bedside table. He reached for it, smiling as he pulled one of many letters out of it.

He'd pulled out Brooke's box of letters a couple of weeks ago, after a particularly long night with Brooke that had left him going crazy inside. Reading the letters was a good distraction from his reality. It gave him hope that someday he and Brooke would be together and it also reminded him why he was so in love with her in the first place.

He pulled the paper out of the envelop, scanning one that was written to him two weeks after she'd left for California:

_Broody,_

_I miss you. _

_That's really all I'm feeling right now. Sometimes I wish I didn't because then I could maybe enjoy admiring these hot California guys without feeling guilty, but unfortunately it's impossible. So thanks for that! _

_...Just kidding. I don't mind actually. These guys are nothing compared to you. A lot of them look like they use spray on tan which is kind of a turn off. Although I still can't deny they're hot. Sorry, you may have managed to tame me in most ways, but I'm an attractive girl surrounded by hot Californian guys. I think you can do the math. _

_I went out with this guy today and he kind of reminded me of you. It was probably because of his hair. He had a buzz cut like yours. His nose kind of reminded me of you too, except it will a little more pointy. I'm thinking that's why I said yes to dinner with him. Anyway, he kissed me on the beach after our dinner. All I could think of was you, though. I felt horrible afterwards, like I was cheating on you. I know we're not together, but going out with all these guys is killing me. _

_I just wish I could see you. It's so beautiful here and the ocean is amazing and there's so many great parties, with tons of college guys, and it should be the best summer of my life, but it's not. Because you're not here..._

_Well, it looks like I've got to go. My parents want me to go with them to this boring business party at one of their friends, which will be just a ton of fun... I hope you can sense the sarcasm in my words... I guess I'll write you again tomorrow and who knows, maybe I'll actually send you that letter. Probably not, though..._

_Cheery_

He set the letter down, his mouth stretched into the familiar goofy grin that came from reading her letters. Lucas had always prided himself with being a romantic, but, when it came to Brooke, he couldn't win. Writing eighty-two letters over the summer to a boy that she was hopelessly pining for was something he'd call devoted.

Most of her letters were similar to that one, telling him how much she missed him and wished he was there. Many were short with tales of how she'd been spending her time in California. Some of them were deeper, explaining why she was so hesitant to be with him and how scared she was that she'd get her heart broken again. But each and every one had so much meaning behind every word that there was no doubt in his mind that she couldn't be anything less than in love with him.

He pulled out a few other random letters, setting them in a pile on his bed, and continued reading.

A knock at his door a few minutes later pulled him from a particularly suggestive letter from Brooke. He glanced over at the clock. It was almost four and Julian was supposed to be coming over at around that time to look at the script. He sat up, dropping the letter onto the bed.

"Julian," Lucas said as he opened the door to find the movie producer, "you're just in time. I just finished the script."

"Great," Julian said, grinning.

"Come on in."

Julian followed Lucas over to his computer and Lucas handed him the script.

"So what do you think of it?" Julian asked.

"Not to sound cocky, but I actually think it's great."

"I'll be the judge of that," Julian said with a smirk.

Julian's eyes wandered around Lucas' room and then onto his bed, where all the letters were. It was then that Lucas wished he'd put them away. Lucas had discovered that Julian was a very nosey person and he really didn't want to discuss his and Brooke's love life with Julian, who would probably only tease him.

Unfortunately, Julian had to bring it up. "What are those?"

"Nothing," Lucas said, quickly scooping the letters up and stuffing them back into the box. He walked over to his closet, placing the box back into the place that it had spent the last five and a half years.

"They're obviously something," Julian said, making himself comfortable in Lucas' desk chair.

Lucas motioned down to the script in Julian's hands. "Don't you have some reading to do?"

"It can wait."

Lucas sighed in annoyance as he slid the closet door shut. "Well, I've got things to do, Julian, so if you don't mind..." He pointed over to the door expectantly.

"Were those the Brooke Davis letters?"

Lucas looked at him in surprise. "How do you know about those?"

"I've read bits and pieces of your original manuscript," Julian said with a shrug.

"Wait, how?" Lucas was more confused than ever. "I've never even given you the original manuscript."

Julian simply grinned. "I have my ways."

Lucas shook his head in disbelief, while Julian leaned back in the chair, throwing his feet up to rest on the desk. "Seriously, though, I snuck a peak or two at the original book while I was over your house the other day helping out with the script. So were those the letters or what?"

"Yes," he admitted stiffly.

"Hmm, interesting. And why, so many years after they were written, would you be reading them?"

Lucas sent him a frustrated glare. "Didn't I tell you when we first met that my love life is not your business?"

"Yes, but I'd like to think that over the last few weeks we've become good friends and therefore that shouldn't apply anymore."

Lucas sat on the edge of his bed. It wasn't that Julian hadn't became a friend to him, because he had, but the letters were personal. He didn't share or talk about them to Nathan or even Haley. It was something that they knew about, but never asked about, knowing that the letters were a subject only for him and Brooke.

When Lucas made no move to respond, Julian spoke again, "You've got it bad for this girl, don't you?" Still, Lucas said nothing and, once again, Julian continued, "I kind of know how you feel...wanting a girl so much that it hurts, but you can't do anything about it because you know that a relationship with her could end up breaking you again...or her."

"Peyton," Lucas simply said, knowing where Julian was getting at.

"Yeah." Julian paused, his gaze falling to the floor. "I don't know what I'd do if I was in your position because I'm not lucky enough to have all the girls falling for me... But putting myself in Brooke's spot— because I think that's where I'd fit more in this equation— I think I'd want you to make a move. Because I know that I'm never going to find the courage to try anything with you again unless I know you feel the same."

Lucas stared at him thoughtfully. Hearing Julian talk to him about it like that made him realize just how much not only Peyton had hurt Julian, but him as well. His and Peyton's relationship always seemed to leave the people they left behind broken and scared of finding love with someone again. Brooke and now Julian were great examples of that and he was sure that Lindsay was too. It was horrible to think of the damage he and Peyton left on other people. It wasn't intentional, but it still proved that his and Peyton's relationship hadn't been healthy for both them and the people around them.

"Anyway," Julian said, standing up and wearing that familiar grin of his, "I'm gonna read this over and then send it over to my bosses and then we can meet up to tomorrow to go over it."

"Okay."

Lucas watched as Julian made his way over to the door.

"Julian."

He turned around, looking at Lucas curiously. "Yeah?"

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For leaving you so broken after Peyton left you. I know that it wasn't all on me, but I was the reason Peyton could never fully give herself to you and I really wish that hadn't been the case. You're a great guy and you didn't deserve to be treated the way you were by Peyton."

A small smile flitted over Julian's lips and he nodded. "I appreciate that, Lucas, but I don't blame you or Peyton for any of it. Not anymore at least. I've come to terms with the fact that she and I obviously weren't meant to be together at the time."

"Doesn't mean you're not meant to be together now," Lucas said and the words meant just as much to him as he was sure they meant to Julian.

"Maybe... I'll see you tomorrow, Lucas."

He nodded, watching Julian quietly shut the door and disappear from his view. He didn't know what to think of their conversation. It helped him sympathize with Julian and also proved once again that there was no way Brooke was going to make a move in their relationship. If she wanted more, she wasn't going to say it. So, if he was waiting for some sort of sign from her, he was wasting his time.

Maybe it was time to finally make a move. He didn't think any time would be the right time when it came to him and Brooke, so what was the point in waiting?

He stood up, running an anxious hand through his hair. He was going to do something and he was going to do it soon. He just needed to figure out _how _he was going to do it first.

**888**

For the third time in the last ten minutes, Brooke's cell phone vibrated, signaling that she had another text message. And this text message was from, of course, Lucas.

_Can I pick you up at your place at around 7?_

Her lips twitched into a big smile as she shut her phone. His messages always left her grinning like an idiot. A few messages ago, he'd told her that his script was officially done and that they should celebrate it tonight by going out to dinner. More than happy at the idea of spending the night out with him, she'd responded with a yes and then he'd sent her the message she'd just read. She quickly sent him a message back.

_Yup. Millie's closing tonight, so that should work. _

Brooke set her phone back on the counter, still smiling as she stared off into space. Lucas had been incredibly sweet lately. Not that he wasn't usually sweet, because he was probably one of the sweetest and caring guys she'd ever known, but there was something about the way he'd been acting around her lately that was different.

She'd started noticing it a few weeks ago, after that incident with Owen. At first, things had been slightly awkward between them, probably because they were both aware of the reason Lucas had reacted that way even though neither admitted it. Then things had quickly gone back to normal. Somehow, though, she became so much more aware of the way Lucas acted around her. The little things she'd grown used to over the last few months— like how he always texted or called each night to say goodnight or how he always lit up with a smile whenever he saw her— were now so obvious to her. And she loved it. It didn't matter that it was all she could have with him; she'd take what she could get.

Her gaze finally settled on Haley, who stood across the room where she'd been previously organizing some clothes. She crossed her arms, a knowing look on her face, and walked over to the front counter, before leaning her elbows on to it.

"When are you going to get a move on with him anyway?"

"Who?" Brooke asked, feigning innocence even though she knew exactly who Haley was talking about.

"Lucas," Haley said with a roll of her eyes. "You two are like obsessed with each other, it's crazy."

"Come on, Haley...you know how I feel about him."

"Yes, I do and you want to know what I think about that? I think you just should tell him what you told me. That you're in love with him."

Brooke shook her head. She wasn't happy with where this conversation was going. It felt like she and Haley had talked about this a thousand times and the outcome was always the same.

"Let's not get into this again."

Haley sighed. "Fine...but sooner or later you're going to realize that this friendship you and Lucas have got going isn't going to be enough anymore. Why not spare yourself the time and just accept it?"

Brooke looked away and suddenly there was an obvious tension in the room. "I didn't ask for your advice on this, Haley."

"You're right," Haley said, sighing again. She turned around, walking slowly over to the door. "I'm sorry," she said, looking back at Brooke again. She wore a gentle smile now and Brooke smiled in return, unable to help it. "I know I've been really pushy lately. I just _really _want you to be happy and I know that Lucas is the only guy that can do that for you."

"I know." And she did know. It was just that there were pros and cons to being with Lucas and, while the pros outweighed the cons, the cons were too much of a risk and it would be hard to convince her otherwise. "We're good, Hales, don't worry."

"Good," Haley said with a sincere smile. "Well, I've got to get home. Nathan's making me dinner tonight."

"Ah, yes, it's the Naley date night tonight," Brooke said, smirking suggestively. "Have fun with that."

Haley laughed. "Oh, I will. Are you sure you're good by yourself, though?"

"Yeah. Millicent's going to be here in an hour, so I'll be fine."

"Okay, then. I'll see you later."

Brooke's eyes fell back down to the counter. Her cell phone vibrated again and she picked it up. It was another message from Lucas.

_I'm already counting down the hours until I see you, Pretty Girl. _

For some reason, that simple message broke the dam that she'd been trying so hard to hold up. Her throat tightened as she fought the tears that threaten to pour. She didn't know how much longer she could do this. It was too hard trying to just be his friend when in reality she wanted so much more. Over and over again, she'd tried to convince herself that she could do it, but now she knew it was a lie. It was time to accept that.

Where did this leave her, though? She still had no clue, but she did know that very soon everything would change. She didn't know how or when or if it'd be for the best or for the worst, but it was inevitable.

She just hoped that it wouldn't completely ruin them.

**888**

Haley trudged tiredly into the kitchen, a big frown on her face. Even though she'd left things with Brooke on a good note, this whole beating around the bush thing Lucas and Brooke were doing was getting really tiring, especially since it was painfully obvious to everyone around them that they were head over heels in love with each other. Even Peyton knew and she didn't seem to care, which, in Haley's opinion, meant that maybe Brooke should just get over her fears and try again with Lucas.

It wasn't that Haley didn't understand where Brooke was coming from; it had been so long since Brooke had been with Lucas and the scars from the last time they were together apparently hadn't yet healed. Still, Haley just wanted them to do something already. She'd talked to Lucas about Brooke numerous times, but, much to her displeasure, she hadn't been able to say a word about the fact that she knew that Brooke love him too. It wasn't her place to tell Lucas, as much as she hated it. And it also wasn't her place to tell Brooke that she knew for a fact that Lucas felt the same way about her. That didn't mean that it was getting insanely frustrating trying to hold this all in.

She heaved an exaggerated sigh as she took a seat at one of the stools at the counter. Nathan, who was busy making their dinner, peered curiously at her.

"What's up with you?"

"They're just so infuriating!"

It didn't even take a second for Nathan to know who she was talking about. "Brooke and Lucas?"

"Who else?"

Nathan chuckled, making his way around the counter and placing an arm around his wife. "Don't worry, they'll get a move on soon. There's no way Lucas can hold out much longer."

Haley relaxed at the comforting touch of her husband and she rested her head on his shoulder.

"I know. I just wish they knew what I knew. I was with Brooke today and she was once again hung up on Lucas and all I wanted to do was grab her by the shoulders, shake her senseless, and tell her to stop walking around like a lovesick puppy and actually do something about him."

"Well, it's probably good that you didn't, because that _might _have been a bit harsh."

Haley sighed, removing herself from Nathan's hold, and paced the kitchen.

"If they don't do something soon, I'm going to explode. I swear, I'm giving them one more week and then I'm going to lock them into a room together and not let them out until they're sexing it up."

Nathan just laughed, but she threw him a glare.

"I'm not kidding, Nathan. I'm about _this _close to my breaking point."

Her husband stood in front of her, putting his hands on her shoulders. "Hales, don't worry about this. Brooke and Lucas are stubborn, but they're not stupid. Eventually they're going to realize that this friendship they've got going on isn't going to work any longer. We just have to let them do it on their own time."

"I know," Haley said resignedly. Nathan pulled her into his arms again. "I just want them to finally get the happiness they deserve."

"So do I, but we've got to patient. It'll all work out in time."

Haley peered up at her husband. "When did we become full on Team Brucas?"

"I don't know...But when did we start calling them Brucas?"

"Sorry, Brooke got me using those stupid couple names in high school and I guess it never wore off."

"Alright," Nathan said, pulling away from her with a mischievous smile, "how about we stop worrying about Brucas and concentrate on Naley for the rest of the night? Jamie _is _with my mom for a reason, you know."

Haley laughed, dropping a kiss onto her husband's smiling lips before grabbing his hands and swinging them playfully.

"I say that sounds like a _great _plan."

**888**

"What are you thinking about?"

Peyton looked up from the plate she'd been staring at and smiled. She was having dinner with Julian for the third time that week... but she wasn't counting. He'd been going back and forth to LA and she liked to use any time she got with him to the fullest. He'd come back a few days ago to help Lucas finish the script but, much to her dismay, he'd be leaving again soon to bring the script back to his boss.

"You."

He sent her a charming grin. "That's what I thought."

She wasn't ashamed to say that their relationship was very flirtatious. It didn't matter that they weren't together; it was just the way they'd always been around each other, couple or not. She was happy with the way things were going between them, though. He was a great friend, there was no denying that. He hadn't tried anything with her. Not one thing. And, at first, that had surprised her, but then she'd realized that Julian had grown since their time together. He cared more about being her friend than getting her into bed and that was something that she'd quickly come to appreciate.

So things were comfortable between them.... And yet she wanted more. She couldn't help it. He made her so happy. It was different than it had been back in LA when they were last together. There, Julian was sort of a distraction, but now he simply made her happy. She could think about Lucas with him and not wish it was actually Lucas she was with. That caused her to see Julian in a new light and she could fully appreciate him for the man he was and not the man she wanted him to be.

Julian's soft voice broke her from her thoughts. "Hey, Peyton, can I ask you something?"

She nodded. "Sure."

"I know it might seem out of the blue, but I just need to know...do you still love Lucas?"

His question took her by surprise. They'd talked about Lucas before and she'd explained what had happened, but he'd never asked her that before, probably because he didn't want to be too intrusive, and she'd never told directly told him that she wasn't in love with Lucas.

Still, she wasn't sure how to answer the question, so she did it in the best way she could.

"Yes, I love him, but as a friend. I'm not in love with him. Not anymore."

That seemed to be all Julian needed to hear. He grinned, stealing a french fry from Peyton's plate, and they continued on with their playful banter. She went a long with it, but in the back of her mind, she was wondering why Julian had brought Lucas up or, better yet, why he would even care.

She knew the answer to that too and she was surprised to find that she didn't mind. She was pretty sure Julian still had feelings for her and that was okay, because she knew now that she still had feelings for him too. What she didn't know, however, was what she was going to do about it.

**888**

Millicent showed up at the store earlier than Brooke expected and pushed her out quickly after that. It was only six and Lucas was supposed to pick her up for dinner in an hour. She didn't want to go home, though. She was pretty sure if she did, she'd find some way to chicken out of her dinner with Lucas.

There was a restlessness that had settled over her body after talking with Haley and she couldn't get it to go away. It was like she needed to see Lucas and yet she couldn't have wanted to be further away from him. That was a familiar feeling recently, but now it was especially prominent.

She really didn't know what to do anymore. Her mind was so conflicted, but her heart was set on only one thing: Lucas.

Maybe that was why she suddenly found herself driving in the direction of his house. She hadn't intended to go there; it had just been a subconscious decision that she hadn't been able to resist.

She knew that the moment she saw him she'd have to put on that front again, trying to convince him that everything was perfectly fine and she was so thrilled to get to spend another night out with him as just a friend. It would be hard, but it was what she needed to to.

Her feet moved slowly up the walkway, leading her to the house she'd lived in once and the room she'd slept in too many times to count, with and without Lucas. She didn't knock; there was no need to anymore.

She took a deep breath, forcing that fake smile onto her lips, and opened the door.

"Hey, Luke! So I know—."

She stopped, her eyes widening at the sight in front of her. Lucas was sitting on the edge of his bed, digging through a box. A very familiar box. And there were letters piled next to him. Letters that she had written a long time ago.

He stood up, dropping the box onto the bed. "Brooke."

Her eyes moved back and forth between him and the letters she'd tried so many times to forget existed. She was speechless now as she realized exactly what this meant, exactly what she'd been trying to deny for so long— Lucas was in love with her too.

* * *

**A/N: **Ah yes, your eyes do not deceive you. I am leaving it with this great little cliffhanger. I know it sucks, but at least you already know that the next chapter should be _very _interesting. And you should also know that cliffhangers inspire me to get the next chapter done quicker, so hopefully that will apply to this chapter too :D.

So, once again, you guys blew me away with your reviews last chapter. Please keep them coming!!


	15. Conflicted

**Conflicted**

This was one of those moments in her life that brought her a mixture of both pure joy, confusion, and pain. She'd experienced something like this only a few times before and, funnily enough, every time had been because of Lucas.

She didn't have a clue what to do now. Lucas was just staring at her. There was a hopeful look on his face, as well as some guilt, and she knew that he was waiting to see how she felt about this before he made a move.

But the problem was she _didn't _know how she felt about this. She needed more information before she could really make a decision about what she was going to do.

"What are you doing with those, Lucas?" she finally asked, her tone wary. He was about to speak, but she cut him off. She needed to get a few things out first. "Why, after so many years, are you looking at those letters? Why would you need to bring that up again?"

She was frustrated and she didn't mean to be, but seeing him reading those letters brought back so many memories, both good and bad, and it did nothing to soothe her constantly changing emotions.

He took a step towards her. She took one step back. He sighed, setting the letter he'd been holding onto the bed.

"Brooke...I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize, just tell me _why_."

He remained silent for a second and then he spoke the words she'd both been dreading and hoping for.

"Because I'm in love with you."

Her face scrunched up with pain. She wasn't sure why this was hurting so much when she'd been wanting it for so long, but then she realized that, despite the fact that she'd dreamed of this happening, it had been just that— a dream. She'd never believed that he'd love her again in this way and that also meant that she never believed she'd have to risk having her heart broken again. And now it was happening and she just didn't know what to do.

He was moving closer to her again and this time she didn't move back. His face was soon only inches away from hers and his eyes bore piercingly into hers.

"I know that this must be hard for you to hear." He paused and she felt his hand reach for hers and again she didn't pull away. "But I can't help the way I feel. I don't know when it happened, but at some point within this last year I fell in love with you all over again. And I know we've been doing so well as friends, but I can't help but want more."

For a moment she was brought back to the time they stood in this very room, when he'd told her something very similar.

"_I want to be with you, Brooke."_

"_What?"_

"_I'm sorry, I know we're friends. It's just how I feel."_

She felt his fingers intertwine with hers and for a moment she was just so lost in his gaze that it was impossible to look away. She'd never been so conflicted in her life. Her heart just wanted to close the distance between him and finally let herself be happy, but her mind kept telling her that this was dangerous territory, that her heart could easily be shattered to pieces if this didn't work out.

"Brooke?"

He was still waiting for something from her. She still didn't know what to do, though.

His hand moved up to her face, caressing her cheek, and she felt a jolt of excitement run through her body. Her heart beat quickened and she took a slow breath, trying to calm her nerves.

Then her heart and body took over and there was nothing she could do to resist it.

Her hands went to the beck of his head, pulling his neck down and causing his lips to crash down against hers. Lucas didn't hesitate to respond. His lips moved in sync against hers, like it had only been a few hours since they'd last done this, not years. This was their first kiss in four years and it was the release of the pent passion that they'd been holding back since then.

She wasn't even thinking as she let her hands trail up and down his back. Because if she did, she'd realize that this wasn't right, that she couldn't let this happen. So, for once, she just let herself forget about everything that could go wrong and simply focused on right now.

Lucas tried to pull away and she could tell that he wanted to talk before they went further, but she couldn't let him go. The moment she did, it would all be over and she'd be back to where she started. It felt too amazing to touch him like this again. She'd dreamed of this moment for so long, but to think that it was actually happening was so overwhelming.

"Brooke," he moaned, his lips moving to her neck.

She didn't give him much time to reacquaint himself with that particular part of her body before pushing him hard back onto his bed. His body crashed onto the mattress, scattering the letters around him and onto the ground. Her body landed on top of his a second later, her fingers pulling fiercely at the buttons of his shirt. She let out a groan of frustration as she tried to get it off and she forced herself to remove her lips from his for just a second so that she could finally rid him of it.

And that was when her mind took over. She froze just as her finger touched the bottom button. Her eyes latched on to his and his eyes held a mixture of pure ecstasy and anxiety; he already knew what was going to happen next.

This was wrong. She couldn't believe she'd let herself go that far. She couldn't even believe she'd let herself kiss him

What had she done? This was going to ruin them and it was all their fault. The friendship they'd worked so long and hard to rebuild was going down the drain, all because she'd let herself give in to her stupid desires.

Her feet landed back on the floor and she backed away, only stopping when her back hit the door.

"I'm sorry," she stuttered out. "That...that shouldn't have happened."

A frown came over Lucas' lips. He slowly stood up, making his way towards her calmly, as if he didn't want to scare her off.

"Don't say that," he said, stopping right in front of her. His hand grazed hers, but this time she pulled it away.

"No, Lucas. We _can't _do this."

He didn't back down. "Why?"

"Because one of us is going to end up hurt."

"No, that's not true. You _think _it is, but it doesn't have to be. We don't have to end badly. If you can just let me love you, then we can be together forever. I know that."

"You _don't _know that, though! Remember when we were last together, Luke? Do you remember how that ended? It killed me!"

"_You _were the one to end things, not me."

"Only because I would have lost you eventually."

He shook his head, grinding his teeth in frustration. "No, you wouldn't have. Couldn't you see how much I loved you? I wanted _you_. And I want you now, too. I want you more than I ever have. There's no one else for me."

"Yeah, I'm sure you told Lindsay and Peyton that too. Face it, Luke, you don't know _who _you want."

Her words seemed to calm him down. He let out a sigh of resignation and turned away from her, taking a seat on his bed. He threw his head into his hands and for a second she felt bad for him. She knew she'd hit a nerve and that it wasn't completely fair to use that against him. At the same time, though, it was true.

"I lost my way for awhile," he said after the silence had become too much. "That's really all there is too it. I'd be lying if I said that I didn't love Lindsay or Peyton, because I did, but there's a reason that I'm not with either of them anymore. There's a reason why I'm sitting here in front of you, trying to get you to understand just how much I love you. You said a long time ago that people who are meant to be always find there way back in the end. Sometimes, they've got to go through other loves to get to that point, but eventually they do. And now I've finally found my way back."

Tears welled up in hers eyes and she looked away from his tired form, not wanted him to see that his words could affect her like.

"But just because I've been with other girls and just because I've loved more than one person, doesn't mean I love you any less. It doesn't demean the love I have for you...I hope you know that."

She turned to look at him again. He was staring right at her, the desire and love in his gaze piercing intensely through hers. A tear finally slid down her cheek.

"Luke..."

He stood up, standing in front of her again. His hand cupped her cheek, his thumb stroking away the tear.

"Can I just ask you one thing?" She just nodded, not knowing what else to do. "Do you love me too?"

"Do you even have to ask?"

"I just need to hear you say it."

She paused. This was a huge step. It was hard enough admitting it to herself, but admitting it to him was a whole other ballgame. But she would do it. For him.

"Of course I love you. I'm _in _love with you. I don't even know if I ever stopped."

A small smile flashed over his lips. His hand fell down to her hips, pulling him close to her.

"Then that should be all that matters."

She really did wish it was, but in reality it wasn't and he should know that by now.

"But it's not, Lucas. I told you a long time ago that it takes more than just love to make a relationship work. It's so much more than that."

"So it won't be easy," he said and it was clear that he was frustrated again. "I know that. I'm okay with that. But I think the most important thing here is that we _do _love each other. You're scared I'm going to hurt you again and I understand that, but do you really think you'll be happy going on with what what we're doing now? Do you really think that you can go the rest of your life like this just because you're scared? I'm scared too, Brooke! You broke my heart when you broke up with me and I don't even think you know that. But I want to be with you and I'm willing to risk that heartbreak again because I really believe that we're going to work. I have faith in us, Brooke, and I think it's time that you had some too."

"I want to have faith, I really do, but you make it sound like it's so easy!"

She was frustrated now too. He needed to understand how hard this was for her. Yes, she'd hurt him in the past too, but he'd long ago recovered. She still hadn't. And she couldn't spend the rest of her life living in the pain she was trying so hard to get rid of.

She moved away from him, pausing near the window before she turned to look at him again. "Well guess, what, Luke? It's like you said, it's _not _easy. You're standing here, spouting out all these amazing words and speeches that make it so hard for me to try to resist you, but the fact of the matter is that they're just words. You can say all you want that we can work, that you're not going to hurt me again, but you can't provethat. They're just words. I need to _see _it. I need you to _prove _it to me, not just expect me to take your word for it. Because, Lucas, no offense, but your word doesn't mean much anymore."

He stood there, hands in his pockets, his face resigned and tired. She sent him a soft smile, knowing that, even though he'd never been hurt like her, this was hard for him too.

"I want to be with you, Lucas, but you have to understand where I'm coming from. I can't just jump back into a relationship with you on blind faith. I really wish I could, but I can't."

"Okay, then." He walked over to her, his face soft now as he smiled too. "I'm going to prove it to you. I know that I've hurt you countless times, but I'm going to show you now that I'm not going to do it again. You can trust me this time. I'm going to fight for you. And I know I've said that before, but I gave up after awhile and I'm not going to do that this time. I'm never going to stop fighting for you. Not ever again."

There was no way he could possibly know how relieved his words made her.

"Good."

He smiled, his hands reaching up to cup her face. Then his lips were on hers again. This kiss was the polar opposite of the one they'd shared earlier. It was simple, but it conveyed all the love he had for her. He pulled away a second later and his intent eyes met hers again.

"I love you, Brooke Davis, and I'm never going to stop."

She simply nodded. She believed him, even if it was so incredibly hard to. She just needed to see it, too. Although, as she lost herself in his eyes, there was simply no way he could be lying to her. She stepped away from him, knowing it was time to go. Whatever was happening between them wasn't going to happen over night. She needed time and he knew that. So he let go of the hand he was holding, watching in silence as she turned to leave. She stopped at the door, looking back at him one last time. She sent him a small smile, giving him the hope he needed, and then slipped out the door.

As she ran the whole conversation through her head again, she realized that not once had Peyton come up during their conversation. Because she knew now that Peyton was no longer standing in their way. It was she herself who was standing in her way now. Lucas was going to do everything he could to prove that he was the one for her, but in the end, it all came down to her. She was the only one stopping herself from being happy now.

She was completely out of it as she drove home. She almost couldn't believe what had happened. So much had changed in such a short of amount of time. It was scary to think that she and Lucas were back at this point again, but there was also a huge part of her that could've have been happier. Lucas was who she wanted. She'd never really given up hope on him, not matter what she told other people or even herself. And now it was happening. Again. There was no going back. And it was a terrifying, but exhilarating thing.

**888**

Peyton took a seat at her desk, lazily flipping the computer on. She relaxed back into the chair, a small smile on her face. She'd just left Julian after their dinner together and, as usual, had been a great time. She wished they could have spent more time together, but he needed to get back to his hotel and finish reading Lucas' script and she had to send a few important e-mails at the studio before she went home for the night.

As she read through an email from Mia, her mind kept wandering back to Julian. Part of her really wanted to see if things could work with him again. Nothing was stopping them now and she was curious if they would be better as a couple now that she had nothing to hide. It would be a risk, yes, but Peyton had always been a risk taker and most of the time her risks paid off. She didn't know if Julian would feel the same way, though. She'd hurt him pretty badly and he probably would be hesitant to be in a relationship with her again.

It was times like these that she really hated herself for what she'd done to him. When she'd met Julian, he'd been the charming ladies man. He wasn't the type of guy who got serious about girls. And yet he'd grown to be very serious about her. As a matter of fact, she was the first girl he'd even loved. And then she'd broken his heart.

But maybe now she could love him the way he had loved her. She couldn't know for sure, though, unless she got that chance. She definitely wasn't sure she was at the point yet where she was in love with him, but it felt like she was getting closer and closer.

There was a quiet knock on the door, whipping her away from her thoughts, and she glanced up quickly before focusing back on the computer.

"Come in."

The door opened and then there was a familiar voice, one that she hadn't heard in such a long time.

"Peyton Sawyer. It's been a long time."

Her heart skipped a beat as her eyes darted back to the door. She had to blink to make sure she was seeing things right. But there he was, that sweet smile covering his face, looking at her like she was the only person in the world.

"Oh my God," she said, standing up. Then the biggest smile overtook her lips. "Jake!"

Without even thinking, she rushed over to him, throwing herself into his arms. He laughed in surprise as he wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. She couldn't believe it had been so long since she'd last seen him. It was almost insane to see him again now, after so many years.

"What're you doing here?" she asked as she pulled away. Looking him up and down, she'd found that he was just as handsome as when she'd left him, if not more. He still the sexy stubble she'd loved so much and his hair was cut short, reminding him of when she was with him in Savannah.

He seemed to be getting a good look at her too, because for a few seconds, he didn't respond; he just stared down at her with gentle eyes.

"I'm in town for my grandfather's funeral, actually," he finally said.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Peyton said, looking at him sympathetically.

"Thanks," he replied. "I'm actually really glad to be back, though. I've missed this place."

"It's been so long..."

"I know..." He looked down at her, his gaze soft. "You look great, Peyton, although it's going to take me a little while to get used to seeing you without your blond hair."

Peyton ran a hand through her hair. "Yeah, it hasn't been blond for a long time. Do you not like it?"

"Of course not. You'd look beautiful bald for all I care."

Her lips twitched into a flattered smile and she looked away, trying to hide her blush. She'd forgotten how charming Jake could be.

"Thanks...So how long are you in town for?"

"Until Tuesday, actually."

"Well, then we'll definitely have to catch up."

"Yes," Jake said, grinning, "we definitely should. I've got to head my grandma's to be with the family tonight, but are you busy tomorrow night?"

"Nope."

"Then how about we meet up? I think you've got to explain to me how exactly you started up this record label of yours."

"And you've got to tell me all about your life in Savannah."

"Sounds like a deal. So where can I meet you."

"How about right here, at around seven?"

"That works for me." He paused, smiling gently down at her. "It's great to see you again, Peyton."

"You too, Jake," she murmured.

He sent her another smile and then turned to leave. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"I can't wait."

She watched him leave, a huge smile on her face. She still couldn't believe he was back. They'd spent over five years living separate lives and now here he was again, back in her life. And she couldn't express how happy she was to have him back.

Then her mind went back to Julian and she felt her heart drop. Two of her ex-boyfriends, both of whom she'd been very serious about at one time or another, were in town at the same time. She was struggling enough with her feelings for Julian as it was, but how would she feel now that Jake was in the mix?

She fell back into her chair, letting out a long sigh. This wasn't going to be good.

**888**

Tonight had been absolutely crazy, to say the least. Lucas had never expected Brooke to find him reading her letters and he definitely hadn't intended for her ever to. He was glad it had happened that way, though. In a way, it made things easier. He really hadn't had a clue as to how he was going to tell her how he felt about her, so to have it happen like that, when he wasn't even expecting it, was for the best.

And then he thought about what happened _after _she'd found him. His knees went weak at the memory of that kiss— or rather kisses. There had definitely been a lot more than one. He hadn't meant to let her get so far— not because he hadn't wanted to, but because he knew she'd regret it— but it had been so long since he'd kissed her in that way and he just couldn't stop. It felt too right to kiss her again and to move his hands so freely around her body. It was something he'd missed more than he'd known. Just thinking about it made him ache for her, but he knew he'd have to be patient before they went there again. He didn't want to rush her.

Lucas had never been more hopeful for their relationship. He was going to fight for her and he wouldn't give up this time. He was just glad that their feelings were finally out in the open. It was the first step to really getting a move on in their relationship.

Now, though, Lucas was completely restless. He needed to do something to distract him. He and Brooke obviously hadn't ended up going to dinner and, even though he desperately wanted to be with her in any way he could, he needed to give her some space. Haley and Nathan were having a night to themselves and he didn't want to interrupt them, although he was sure that they'd be happy to hear what had happened.

So that was why Lucas found himself wandering into Tric later that night. He didn't come here often anymore, unless he was meeting his friends, but he needed to get out of his house or else he'd go crazy.

He looked around the club. It was extremely crowded, something he was glad for. More people would probably start streaming in as the night went on. He took a seat at the bar. Not surprisingly, Owen was there. He sent Lucas a hesitant smile as he walked over towards him.

"What can I get you?"

"Whatever's on tap."

Owen nodded, leaving Lucas to go get his drink. Seeing Owen made Lucas feel bad about how he'd treated him a few weeks ago and, since he happened to be in a great mood, he decided to be as friendly as possible.

"Thanks, man," Lucas said, sending him a sincere smile as Owen handed him his beer.

"No problem. Call me if you need anything."

Lucas nodded. He took a sip of his drink, twisting in his seat to look around the club. It was then that he noticed Julian walking through the crowd over to him.

"Hey, Julian," Lucas said. "What're you doing here?"

Julian took a seat next to him. "I just dropped Peyton off at her studio a little while ago so I figured why not stay for a drink?"

"Have you read the script yet?"

"Some of it," Julian admitted with a grin. "I'll finish the rest up when I get back to the hotel."

"So you were out with Peyton?" Lucas asked, smirking suggestively. Now it was Lucas' turn to tease.

Julian chuckled. "Yes, I was. I took her out to dinner."

"Isn't that like the fifth time this week?"

"Considering I've been back in Tree Hill for only three days, no."

"Okay, my bad. So it's the _third _time this week."

"Correct."

Lucas cocked an eyebrow. "So three dates in one week, huh? She's got you whipped."

"They're not dates," Julian said, now frowning. "We're just friends."

"Uh huh."

"Why do I feel like we've had this conversation before?"

"Oh, we have," Lucas said with a laugh, "but it's always concerning me. Tonight I'm turning the tables and giving _you _a hard time."

Julian looked around the bar airily. "I'm not sure I like that."

"Now you know how I feel."

"What's got you in such a good mood anyway?" Julian said now turning the tables on him as he sent Lucas a grin. "Let me guess...Brooke?"

"Maybe."

"In other words, yes."

Lucas chuckled softly as he downed the rest of his drink. The alcohol was doing a good job relaxing him and because of it he didn't feel as awkward speaking to Julian about Brooke.

"If you must know, things between Brooke and I have progressed significantly since you and I last spoke."

Julian looked at him in surprise. "Now you've got me curious."

"I'm not saying anything else."

"Did you—?"

"Nope," he quickly cut him off.

"Come on, I—."

"You're wasting your time, Julian," Lucas said, shaking his head in amusement.

Julian was about to protest when Lucas spotted a familiar coming down the stairs of Peyton's studio. He squinted, trying to make sure this was really who he thought it was. It definitely was. Jumping up from his chair, he called his old friend over.

"Jake!" Lucas called, waving over at him. Jake spotted him a second later and walked over to him and Julian.

"Lucas," Jake said as he met them at the bar. "It's great to see you."

"Yeah, you too," Lucas said, still surprised to see Jake standing there after all these years. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"Over five years."

"I'm guessing you just saw Peyton," Lucas said, nodding over at the stairs.

"Yeah, I did...It's amazing to get to see her again."

Lucas immediately noticed the way Jake's eyes lit up as he spoke of his ex-girlfriend and it was that look that reminded him that Julian was sitting right next to them. And then Lucas realized that the return of Jake might not be too great for Julian.

"I've got to get going, Lucas, but hopefully we can catch up while I'm here."

"That'd be great. Welcome back, Jake. We missed you."

Jake smiled gratefully. "I missed you all too...I'll see you later."

As Jake disappeared through the crowd, he twisted around in his seat to look at Julian. The movie producer wore a confused frown.

"Who was that?"

"That was Jake. He's an old friend from high school. He, uh...dated Peyton, actually..."

He felt bad telling Julian about this, especially since Peyton apparently had never told him, but Julian would find out eventually and it was probably best he was prepared.

"Oh..."

Julian looked away, his face unreadable. Lucas stood up, leaving his money on the bar.

"I'm gonna get going, Julian. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Sure."

Lucas paused, wanting to leave Julian with some sort of comforting words. He could tell that Julian was worried about the return of Peyton's ex-boyfriend.

"Don't worry about Jake," Lucas said, patting Julian's arm. "He's a good guy who just wants Peyton to be happy, which, by the way, seems to be with you."

Julian nodded, clearly distracted. "Yeah, thanks..."

Lucas sent him an encouraging smile, turning to leave. Yes, today had definitely been crazy, which was a good thing for him, but not necessarily a good thing for Julian. One thing was for sure, though— things were definitely about to get _really _interesting.

* * *

**A/N: **I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter ;D. I know that Brooke and Lucas still aren't back together, but don't worry, it'll happen soon. But at least they both know where they stand now, right? And what do you guys think about Jake coming back? I personally love Jeyton, so I couldn't help but include him in here. I don't know yet if Peyton's going to end up with Julian or Jake, though. Actually, next chapter is going to be where the oneshot I'd written awhile ago coincides with this story, so for those who haven't read that oneshot, it's basically going to be in the next chapter.

By the way, I added a poll on my profile and it's for who you want Peyton to end up with (if you care). I won't be keeping the poll up for too long so please vote while you can!

Thanks so much for reading and please remember to review!


	16. Undecided

**Undecided**

_I love you, Pretty Girl. Always remember that. _

That was the text message Brooke was greeted with when she woke up the next morning. She smiled idiotically, unable to keep the happiness she felt from his words from showing. For just a few moments, it erased the fears she had of getting back together with him and let her dwell in the fact that he loved her again.

She didn't send him anything back. She wanted to tell him she loved him too, but at this point, it felt too soon. He probably wasn't expecting anything back anyway. He knew that he was going to have to work very hard to get that response.

When Brooke arrived at her store later on, she was more than surprised to find both Haley and Peyton lounging on the couch in the middle of the store. Her eyes narrowed in confusion as as she shut the door behind her; she didn't recall asking either Peyton or Haley to help out today.

"What are you guys doing here?"

The moment Haley saw her, her typical knowing smile covered her lips, and she jumped up to greet her. "Why hello, Brooke."

She looked over at Peyton, who was shaking her head in amusement, before turning back to Haley.

"What's going on?"

"Don't you have something to tell us?" Haley asked expectantly.

"Um...no?"

She didn't have a clue what was going on. Her two friends sent her expectant looks, but she just threw up her hands in confusion.

"I'm sorry, but I really have no clue what you're talking about."

Haley sighed in annoyance. "I spoke to Lucas this morning. I know what happened."

And then it clicked. "Oh..."

"Brooke," Peyton said, coming forward, "why didn't you tell me?"

"Because it just happened last night and I went to bed before you got home." She turned back to Haley. "What exactly did Lucas tell you?"

She was going to kill him if he went into the more _intimate _details of their interesting night. It didn't matter that Haley was his best friend; that had been one of her weaker moments and if they were going to know about it, then sheshould be the one to tell them.

"He told me that you walked in on him reading your letters."

"I didn't even know he still had them," Peyton interrupted.

Haley smiled. "I didn't either. It's kind of romantic, isn't it?" Brooke just shot her an annoyed glare. "So," Haley continued, "then he told me that you both _finally _came out with your feelings for each other and now he's going to prove to you that you and him can be together and actually last."

"Anything else?"

"Nope, I think that's it. Why? Was there more?" Haley was looking at her with raised eyebrows, but Brooke quickly shook her head, happy that Lucas hadn't gone in to too much detail.

"No, no."

"Well, all I have to say if thank God you both finally did something. I mean, seriously, I was going crazy. Whenever I was around you, you'd be moping around about Lucas and if I was around him, he'd be moping about you. I couldn't ever get away!"

"Wait," Brooke said, eyes narrowing, "you knew that Lucas had feelings for me too?"

"Yes, and let me tell you, I was going insane trying to keep it all in."

She supposed she shouldn't have been surprised. Lucas, like her, had been keeping his feelings for her a secret from most people and he'd probably needed advice too.

"Well, I feel like I've been left out of the loop," Peyton said, frowning at Brooke. "You could tell Haley that you still had feelings for Lucas, but you couldn't tell me?"

"I'm sorry," Brooke said, sighing, "I didn't mean to keep this from you, but, besides the fact that you've been pretty occupied these last few weeks, talking to Haley about it...well, it's just easier, considering the fact that she doesn't have a history with Lucas."

"I get that, but you know that I would have been supportive, right? I already told you that I was okay with you and Lucas getting together and I really meant that. I still do."

"I know, Peyton." She took a seat next to her best friend "And I'm sorry."

Peyton nodded, smiling softly. "It's okay. I just want you to know that this whole love triangle with me, you and Lucas is history. I'm never going to come between you again. And I know I've said that before, but I guess you've just got to trust me this time."

"I do," Brooke said, even though she didn't completely. She supposed that her trust for Peyton would increase as time went by. For now, though, she would have to take a risk; just like she would soon have to take a risk and trust Lucas too.

Haley took a seat on the edge of the coffee table, smirking at Peyton. "I believe Peyton too, considering that she'd be too distracted to come between you and Lucas since she's gotten herself into yet _another _love triangle and this time _she's _in the middle."

Brooke turned to a sheepish looking Peyton in surprise. "What?"

"Jake's back."

She definitely had not been expecting to hear that. "Wow. That's kind of crazy."

"Yeah, but I think Haley's exaggerating just a little. I mean, Jake's not back for me; he's back for his grandfather's funeral. I don't really get how that means I'm in the middle of a love triangle."

"Well," Haley said, "for starters, aren't you meeting him tonight?"

"Just to catch up," Peyton said defensively. "It's not like it's a date or something."

"Yeah, but when have you and Jake ever just caught up? You two never really worked as friends."

"That's not true. He and I were good friends for awhile before we started anything."

"But I don't think you can deny that you were always wanting more."

Peyton shot her an annoyed glance. "Can I get little help here, Brooke?"

Brooke just shrugged. She agreed with Haley. Peyton and Jake were always meant for more than friendship, kind of like her and Lucas.

"Sorry, but I'm with Haley on this."

Peyton threw up her hands in frustration. "But it's been _five _years. There's no doubt in my mind that he got over me a long time ago. And guess what? I got over him too. So yeah, we're meeting up tonight to talk, but it's as friends. We're just _friends _and that's all we'll be."

"But it's you and Jake," Brooke said, smiling as she thought of the two of them. She'd always loved them together. Jake had taken care of Peyton whenever he could. He couldn't always be there for her like Lucas, but when he was there, he gave it everything he had. She'd always hoped that her best friend would end up with single dad. "You two were amazing together."

Peyton sighed, looking away from them both. "I know we were."

"Did it ever cross your mind that maybe he's back here for a reason?" Haley asked. "Maybe it's time for you both to get another chance?"

"Maybe...but what about Julian?"

Brooke shared a look with Haley. For a second, she'd forgotten about the cute movie producer who'd been stealing all of Peyton's time. It seemed Peyton definitely had gotten herself in the middle of a triangle.

"Well, how do you feel about him?" Haley asked.

"I don't know..." Peyton sighed in frustration and Brooke put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I don't really want to talk about this anymore, okay?"

Brooke and Haley both nodded, knowing that right now it would be best to let Peyton figure this out on her own.

Haley turned back to her and Brooke knew that it was now her turn to be in the spotlight again. "So what are you going to do about Lucas?"

"I'm going to let him prove that I can trust him," Brooke said with a shrug.

"Don't you think he's already proven it, though?" Peyton said.

She looked at her best friend curiously. "What do you mean?"

"Look at these past few months. He's been by your side every single step of the way, whether it was with Angie, with the attack, or your store. He's proven that he's going to be there for you no matter what. Isn't that more than enough?"

In a way, it was, but for some reason she needed more. Like she'd told Lucas yesterday, it wasn't easy to open your heart up to someone who'd left you so broken that you still hadn't completely recovered.

"You're right, Lucas has proven himself to me, but I don't think you understand how hard it is for me to open my heart up to him again. He hurt me, Peyton. I've lived with that pain for a long time and I've buried it away, but now he's digging it up again. Do you see why I can't jump right back into a relationship with him?"

And it wasn't just that; they still had other issues to work through too. The fact that he still didn't know why she'd really broken up with him senior year being one of of the most important things.

"Yeah," Peyton said, nodding slowly, "I do."

"And so do I," Haley added. "I think you're being smart, Brooke. Lucas is my best friend, but even I can't deny that he's a heart breaker even if he doesn't mean to be. I think he deserves to work a little to gain your trust. If you loves you like he says he does, then he shouldn't mind."

"He doesn't," Brooke said. "In fact, it looked like he was happy to do it."

"Then let him. I don't see anything wrong with it. Just as long as you two don't try the non-exclusive thing again."

Brooke chuckled. "Never again."

She glanced down at the phone in her hand. She'd been about to read another text message from Lucas when she'd stepped into the store, but she'd been distracted by her friends.

_Don't make any plans tonight. You owe me the dinner we didn't get last night._

She rolled her eyes, sending a quick one back.

_And whose fault was that? _

Haley and Peyton were suppressing smiles as she looked back up at them. They didn't even need to ask who she was on the other end of the conversation. A second later, she got another one back.

_Mine... but I'll more than make up for it tonight. Just be at your house at seven._

_Okay, but you're paying._

She stood up, ignoring her friends' obvious curiosity, and strode over to the counter.

"Well, I've got to get to work, so unless you're here to help, then shoo."

Haley and Peyton feigned offense, but quickly got up to leave. Brooke reveled in the newfound silence, glad that she was dealing with their questions. She loved them for caring, but she knew what she was doing with Lucas and she didn't need anyone changing her mind.

She glanced down at the newest message from Lucas.

_Of course. You know how I never let you pay on our dates._

A date, huh? If that was what he wanted to believe, she'd let him. She didn't mind, anyway. She was actually really looking forward to tonight. She had no idea what it would be like hanging out with him after last night. She knew things would be different, but, even though she didn't want to admit it to anyone else, she was sure that this change in their relationship would be a good thing..

**888**

Jake Jagielski had to be the absolute lastperson she'd imagined hanging out with tonight. Up until today, she hadn't seen him in five years, so it was almost like a dream to see him appear at her studio last night.

Her talk with Haley and Brooke earlier had left her a bit wary the rest of the day, but the moment Jake had showed up to pick her up, those anxieties had gone away and she let herself just live in the moment. Nothing would ruin their night.

They'd decided to stay at Tric for drinks before they went out to dinner. It was open mike night and a local band was playing and Jake, like her, had been excited to check them out. She looked at Jake, curiosity getting the best of her.

"So, how's Jenny?"

"Great. You'll never believe how big she's gotten."

"Do you have any pictures?"

"Not on me, sorry." He paused for a moment before looking at her. "If you want, maybe you can come see her tomorrow. She'd love to see you."

"She remembers me?"

"Of course. I've got a few pictures of you laying around the house. She even has that drawing you drew of me and her. She keeps it in her room."

She was surprised, but extremely humbled to hear that. She couldn't believe that after all these years, Jake still had pictures of her in his house. It made her feel horrible for not calling every once and awhile. Now more than ever she wished that she'd stayed in both their lives.

"I'd love to see her again."

"Great, we'll work something out then."

"Yeah…"

A comfortable silence overtook them. He was smiling lightly as he watched the band play, but she couldn't force her eyes away from him. She just couldn't understand how she could have gone all these years without seeing his face.

Her hand moved to touch his under the table.

"I've missed you, Jake."

His lips cracked into a gentle smile. "I've missed you too."

Then she scooted closer to him and, without even thinking, she brushed her lips against his. She knew she shouldn't be doing this. Another face flashed into her mind—Julian. She wasn't dating him, but their feelings for each other were clear . Before Jake came home, it was only a matter of time before she and Julian reunited.

Now, though, she wasn't so sure.

She pulled away, her fingers gently grazing the side of his face.

"What was that for?" he asked, a crooked smile on his face.

She just shrugged. "It's been five years, Jake. That's way too long, don't you think?"

He nodded slowly. "Yeah, I do."

She wanted so badly to pull him in for another kiss, this one long and passionate, making up for lost time, but she didn't. She couldn't commit herself to Jake yet, not when she still had feelings for Julian. She almost regretted their kiss, because she knew it might have gotten Jake's hopes up, but she needed to feel his lips on hers again. There used to be such an undeniable chemistry between the two of them and she needed to know if it was still there.

It definitely was.

She leaned against him lightly as they listened to the band finish their song. When they were done, they ask if anyone else would like to come on stage and sing. She playfully nudged Jake.

"Still sing?"

"You bet I do."

He confidently stood up and heads over to the stage. When he picked up the guitar and started strumming a familiar song, her heart almost stopped. _Someday_. It was their song and the words brought back so many memories. She instantly lost herself in the song, simply remembering.

They'd had so many good times—her, Jake, and Jenny too. They were a family. The perfect family. She wondered what it would have been like if they'd gotten married. It was a good thing she was sitting down because her legs practically went limp at the thought. She knew without a doubt that they'd be completely happy.

The words floated into her ear and it felt like just yesterday that she was sitting in a bar in Savannah and Jake was playing this very song, just for her.

Maybe now was her and Jake's someday? Maybe they were finally going to get their chance.

After he was finished, he smiled brilliantly down at her and walked off stage. The crowd clearly loved him and she shook her head in amusement as a group of girls ogled at him.

"That was amazing, Jake," she said as he sat back down.

"Thanks…I haven't sang that song in years, but I figured it was appropriate for tonight."

"It's our song," she said so quietly that she wasn't not even sure he heard.

But he did. "I know."

"You know, I could really use someone like you on my label."

"That's very tempting…"

She could see his hesitance. "But?"

"But I don't know if it could work. Jenny and I have got a life back in Savannah."

"You wouldn't have to move here. You could just come here every couple of weekends and we could work on an album during that time. Please tell me you'll at least think about it."

"Honestly…" He shook his head, looking doubtful, but then he sent her a wide smile. "I'd love to, Peyton."

She felt like squealing in happiness, but somehow managed to keep some composure. "Seriously?"

"Seriously."

She flung herself into his arms. It wasn't not the prospect of him giving her label success with his music, but rather the idea of working with him and simply being around him that sent a jolt of excitement through her body.

"What do you say about coming by the studio tomorrow and trying a few songs out?"

"Sounds good to me."

This was almost too good to be true. She was working with Jake. He was going to join her label. And, best of all, he was back in her life.

And she hoped he never left it again.

**888**

Lucas glanced at the clock. It was almost seven and Brooke would be coming home from work soon. He hurried around the kitchen, making sure everything was ready. He'd decided to do something a little more intimate tonight instead of simply taking her out and that was why he'd come to her house and made her dinner.

Of course, he didn't expect anything out of it. In fact, he'd promised himself that tonight would be a light, fun night. He wasn't going to pressure her into talking about their relationship. What he wanted tonight was to simply be with her as her friend. If she wanted more, then he'd give it to her, but he had no expectations.

"What's all this?"

He turned around to find Brooke standing at the front door, a confused expression on her face as she looked around the room. The table was set for two, with candles lighting up the dim room, and he was in the process of pulling out a couple of wine glasses. It was cheesy, he knew, but he wanted tonight to be special.

"This is dinner," he said, grinning as he walked over to her.

She kinked an eyebrow. "I thought we were going out?"

"I never said we were going out; I just said we were having dinner."

She looked over at the candle lit table, trying to hide a smile. "Well, you certainly out did yourself."

"I always do, don't I?" She just rolled her eyes, while he turned serious. "I know this might seem like a bit much, but I want you to know that I'm not expecting anything out of this. I just want to take care of you."

Her hand grazed his arm. "I know...I have to admit, though, that this is actually really nice."

"Thank you. So," he took her hand, "let's eat, shall we?"

She let him lead her to the table and he sat her down before walking over to the stove.

"What are we having?"

"Oh, just one of your favorites." He carefully pulled the pan out of the oven and brought it over to her. "Four-cheese lasagna."

Her face lit up and she clapped her hands together excitedly. "Okay, I officially love you."

He grinned, setting the food in front of her. "Good to know." He took her glass, pouring her some red wine.

"Seriously, you should get some kind of reward for this."

He looked up from the glass, smirking. "How about a kiss?" She gave him a pointed look and he laughed. "Yeah, that's what I thought."

He sat down, loading his plate with food, and she did the same. He smiled as he watched her take a bite, happy that she was happy.

"This is amazing. Did you make it?"

"With a little help from Haley, yes I did."

"Thank you for doing this, Luke." He was a little surprised when she reached her hand across the table to rest on top of his. "It really does mean a lot."

He laced his fingers through hers, looking at her seriously. "I just want to make you happy."

Their eyes met and and her lips formed into a small smile as she gently squeezed his hand.

"You do, Luke."

That was all he needed to hear.

**888**

A few hours later, Brooke settled onto the couch. She'd just sent Lucas to the store for ice cream and now was waiting for him to return so they could watch a movie.

She was surprised at how comfortable things were between them. After last night, she'd expected at least a little tension from both sides, but right away, they'd just clicked back into their normal routine and there had been virtually no awkwardness.

It wasn't like they were completely ignoring what had happened between them, either. They hadn't directly talked about it, but it was sort of just there. Every time he reached for her hand, every time he said something particularly swoon-worthy, even just the way he looked at her— it was like he was completely free around her and, in turn, so was she.

And she liked it a lot.

She heard a noise at the door and for a second she thought it was Lucas, but since he'd left not even five minutes ago, she knew it couldn't be. Then there was a knock and she heaved herself off the couch to answer it.

"Hey, Julian," she said, surprised to see Peyton's ex-boyfriend standing there.

"Hey..."

There was something off about him. It was probably the somber smile he wore; she was so used to seeing his usual cheerful grin.

"Is Peyton here?" he asked.

"No, she's not." She wasn't sure if she should tell him that Peyton was with Jake. It was possible that he already knew, but she didn't want to bring it up in case he didn't.

"Oh....Okay. I guess I'll go, then."

"Are you okay?" Brooke asked before he could turn to leave. He let out a heavy sigh and that was her answer. "Do you want to come in?"

He simply nodded and she led him into the living room. He sat down on the couch, clearly preoccupied.

"Do you know anything about this Jake guy?" he asked and he sounded a little desperate.

She was a little surprised that Peyton hadn't told Julian about Jake yet. She didn't know if she should be the one to explain what Jake had been to Peyton, but the anxious look Julian was giving her gave her no other choice.

"He and Peyton were together for a little while in high school," Brooke explained.

"Were they serious?"

Brooke gave him a sad smile. "Yes, they were."

"Were they as serious as she and Lucas were?"

"I don't know," she answered honestly. "They were pretty close, though."

"So did they break up because of Lucas?"

"As far as I know, no. It's kind of complicated and I don't know the whole story, but basically Jake has a daughter and he was having a custody battle with his daughter's mother. After awhile, he ended up having to leave Tree Hill to move down to Georgia, leaving Peyton behind. He never came back and soon Peyton found herself falling for Lucas again and they haven't seen each other since."

Julian nodded slowly. She could tell he wasn't liking what he was hearing.

"Is she with him tonight?"

"Yes."

He looked away from her and a silence fell over them. Brooke's heart was breaking for him. In truth, she didn't know if he had anything to worry about when it came to Jake, but she knew how Julian felt. She'd been in a similar place once. It wasn't fun knowing that the person you were in love with could have feelings for someone else.

"Thanks for telling me that Brooke," Julian said after awhile. "I wanted to talk to Peyton about it, but I haven't been able to get a hold of her today."

"It's no problem." Then she looked at him seriously. "Don't give up on her, Julian. Peyton's confused right now, but you need to make sure not to make her decision for her. Let her be the one to decide and don't let her go until you know for sure what that decision is."

"I'm not planning on it," he said, now looking a little more like his old self. "I made that mistake once and I won't make it again." He stood up, preparing to leave, sending her a small grin. "Thanks, Brooke."

She smiled. "Anytime."

**888**

"Julian."

Peyton stopped in her tracks of the sight of him at her front door. Jake stood behind her, surprised. Julian didn't look very happy as his eyes darted back and forth between Jake and Peyton. His eyes were narrowed in confusion, his lips forming into a frown.

"Peyton."

Jake looked uncomfortable and she felt bad for putting him in this situation. She never intended for their paths to cross so soon. A sigh escaped her lips; what a wonderful mess she'd gotten herself into.

"What are you doing here?" Her voice was soft, almost sympathetic. She felt bad that he had to see her with Jake.

"I came to see you."

"Oh."

She shifted awkwardly on her feet and wrapped her arms around herself, trying to fend off the cold night air. She wasn't sure if there had ever been a moment where she had been this uncomfortable. She thought all this love triangle nonsense was all in the past, but now, as she stood on her and Brooke's front porch in between two men she'd once loved, she knew that she had once again put herself into a situation where someone was going to end up hurt. Except this time, she was in the _middle_ of this deadly triangle. Now she'd caught a glimpse at how uncomfortable Lucas must have been back in the day. She wasn't sure how he survived.

"Um…" Peyton tried to find something to say, anything that could ease the tension, and then she remembered that Jake and Julian didn't have any idea who the other was.

"Julian, this is Jake. Jake, this is Julian."

Julian simply nodded at Jake, not looking extremely pleased at his presence, and Jake, sensing the obvious discomfort, smiled politely.

"Peyton, it's getting kind of late, so I'm gonna head out."

She turned to look at Jake, nodding. "Okay. Thanks for tonight, Jake. It was great to get to spend time with you again."

"Yeah, it was fun. Did you still want me to come to the studio tomorrow?"

"Definitely."

"I'll see you then." He smiled softly at her and in it brought back memories their high school days together. It was amazing that after so many years with almost no contact between each other, it seemed as if it had only been a few days since they'd last been together. She watched him leave, an unconscious smile on her lips. She'd forgotten how wonderful being with Jake was.

"So, that's Jake."

Her head whipped around to focus back on Julian. "You know about Jake?"

"Up until last night, no, I had no idea this guy existed, but after he stopped by Tric to say hi to Lucas and mentioned you, I got a little curious. I came here to ask you about him, but you weren't here so I talked to Brooke." He paused now, and then a look of utter defeat crossed his face. Her heart dropped at the sight of it and she immediately moved forward, her hand moving to his shoulder, but he shrugged it away. Instead he sat on the porch steps, his eyes focusing straight ahead of him. She sat next to him.

"To think that all this time I thought that I only had Lucas to worry about. I thought I was only _second_ best in your life. But no, apparently I'm not even number two."

"Julian—."

"Was I _ever_ first in your life, Peyton?" Bitterness racked every syllable of his words.

"Of course you were."

Now he looked at her and there was only sadness in his eyes. She hated that she was hurting him so badly. She never meant for things to turn out this way. "You're lying."

Her eyes narrowed. "I loved you, Julian."

"You loved the distraction I brought you from Lucas. And apparently Jake, too."

"I wasn't in love with either of them when I was with you," she defended. She really wasn't. She was certainly missing Lucas, and in the midst of all that, she'd certainly though often of Jake and what could have been, but she wasn't in love with either of them.

"That's another lie."

Okay, so maybe she was in _lust_ with Lucas and brooded over the closure they'd never gotten. Maybe she was still carrying a torch for him, but she is over that now.

"I _loved _you, Julian. And, yes, I was still carrying around feelings for Lucas and maybe even a little for Jake, but I gave you my all, you can't deny that."

He shook his head and his eyes moved back towards the cloudless dark sky. "You can't give someone your all when you've got feelings for someone else."

She wasn't doing a very good job proving her past love for him. Truth was, he was right; she didn't give it her all when she was with him. She'd still had feelings for Lucas and therefore she wasn't able to fully give herself to him.

But it didn't matter anymore, because so much had changed since then.

There was a point in her life, not even that long ago, when she'd thought that Lucas was the only one for her. She was frustrated that he didn't seem interested in her romantically anymore, especially after Lindsay, but she still held out hope that they would find their way back. But then Julian had showed up and suddenly she began to wonder if she was wrong.

She began to see things in Julian that she'd never fully appreciated before. He made her laugh, even in the toughest of situations. He was sensitive and charming and genuinely caring. Overall, though, he was selfless. And she loved that most about him. He'd do anything for her.

"It wasn't our time, Julian—when you and I were together, it just wasn't possible for it to work. But it doesn't have t be that way anymore. Lucas and I have had closure. Things are over between me and him. Maybe now _we _can work. Maybe it's our time now."

"Maybe…or maybe it's yours and Jake's time."

"Jake and I have been over for five years." She put a hand on his leg. "You know how I feel about you. I want to be with you."

"Brooke told me a lot about the two of you. It seems like you two had something special. And judging by the way you were looking at each other tonight, I'd say you still do."

"Julian—."

"No." He sighed as he stood up. "I can't do this, Peyton. You know I love you, right? I want you to be happy. But I _don't _want you to settle and I sure as hell don't want to be the one you settle with. I'm _always _competing with someone when I'm with you and I can't do it anymore. So I want you to figure out things with Jake and if it works out, then it works out. I'll find someone else someday. But if it doesn't, then we'll know that you and I are meant to be."

He was doing exactly what she doesn't want him to do—setting her free. He was also doing exactly what Jake did that night in Savannah so many years ago. But she wasn't sure she could do it this time. She couldn't go back to Jake and try things out with him, not when she had feelings for Julian. And she definitely couldn't go with Julian and pretend that her feelings for Jake weren't back, because by now she knew that they definitely were back and they were stronger than ever.

And she'd thought things with _Lucas _had been confusing. This was about ten times worse.

She hated being in the middle. She hated it more than anything. And she knew that she'd never be able to make a choice. It wasn't possible. There were a million pros to each man and literally only two cons for each—one, they weren't the other guy, and two, one of them would end up hurt.

She practically groaned aloud, but managed to hold it in. What had she gotten herself into? It was too bad Lucas wasn't an option anymore. He definitely would have been the safe choice. But she didn't want safe anymore. She was _tired _of safe.

"I can't do that, Julian."

"Why?"

"Because I don't want to hurt anyone."

"I know you don't." His hand reached up to caress her cheek. "But you've reached the point of no return, Peyton. There's no turning back. Someone's going to get hurt; it's inevitable."

She clenched her teeth together, pulling away from his soft touch and glaring at nothing in particular.

"Why'd you both have to come back?" she said, although it came out as more of a yell. "If you and Jake had just stayed away then you both could have found love with someone so much better than me and I would never have risk breaking anyone's hearts." A frustrated sigh left her mouth and she leaned against the side of the house.

Julian looked slightly amused at her outburst judging by his cute little grin. It took all she had not to smile back at him. Damn him for always managing to cheer her up, even when he didn't even mean to.

He walked slowly towards her, pulling her hands into his. "I need you in my life, Peyton. I don't regret coming back, even if it means that we're only just going to be friends."

This time, she couldn't hold back a groan. "God, this sucks! It would have been _so _easier with Lucas!"

Julian grinned again. "Easier isn't always better."

She smiled too. "I know, trust me, I do."

He looked at her gently, his eyes bearing into hers. His hands moved to her waist and, very slowly, he craned his neck down, placing a soft kiss on her lips. She felt slightly guilty as she remembered that only a few hours before, Jake's lips had been in his place, but it was hard to distinguish which one felt more right. She supposed now that only time would tell.

"I'm going to LA tomorrow morning," he said, pulling away.

"So I guess this is goodbye for now."

He nodded slowly. "I'll be back, though. You haven't seen the last of Julian Baker."

"Good, because I'd kind of miss you if you left for good."

He cocked an eyebrow. "Kind of?"

She laughed. "Okay, I'd _really _miss you."

A grin graced his face again as he backed away from her. "I'll see you soon."

"Yeah…"

And then he was gone and she was just as confused as before.

She honestly had no idea what would happen over the next few weeks. Jake was going to be in Tree Hill for awhile and he was going to working on a record with her. She'd be spending many long days with him and she was beyond excited at the prospect, but she knew that Julian would be on the back of her mind as well. She had feelings for both men and these were feelings that couldn't just go away.

When she finally entered her home, Brooke was resting on the couch, reading a magazine.

"Talk to Julian?"

"Yup."

Brooke smiled sympathetically and shifted over so that Peyton could join her on the couch. Peyton immediately fell onto it and Brooke put a comforting arm around her as she rested her head on Brooke's shoulder.

"I kind of told him about Jake earlier. I hope that's okay."

"It's okay. Julian needed to know."

"So…what exactly happened?"

"It's complicated."

"You've got two men pining after you, of course it's complicated."

"Am I really that great of a catch? Because I really don't understand why guys like me so much."

"Me neither."

Peyton swatted Brooke's arm. "Hey! Only _I _am allowed to insult myself."

Brooke grinned at her. "Relax, I'm just kidding."

Peyton sighed. "B. Davis, what am I gonna do?"

"I don't know… I guess you've just got to leave it up to fate." Brooke's fingers sifted through her hair. "If it's you and Jake, then that's great. If it's you and Julian, that's great too. If it's you and Lucas…well, I don't know about that, but whatever happens happens. All I know is that people who are meant to be always find their way back in the end."

"I hope so…"

"It'll be okay, Peyton. Everything will work out, you'll see. "

"I know."

She just hated that someone was going to end up hurt. Closing her eyes, her head fell into Brooke's lap. It was going to be a long road for her and she had no clue what was going to happen, but she could only hope that Brooke was right—that when the time come, her heart would know for sure who she was truly meant to be with. She didn't want to settle anymore and she didn't want Jake or Julian to settle either. She just wanted everyone to be happy, but at this rate she wasn't sure if that was possible.

She laid on her back, her eyes looking straight up at her best friend.

"Brooke?"

"Hmm?"

"I _really _hate love triangles."

Brooke chuckled softly. "So do I, P. Sawyer, so do I."

**888**

Lucas returned to Brooke's to find her and Peyton resting on the couch together. He sent them both a smile as he made his into the kitchen and Peyton lifted herself off the couch with a huff.

"I'll leave you two lovebirds alone," she said, sending both him and Brooke a painfully obvious wink. "Don't have too much fun without me."

He chuckled softly as she disappeared up the stairs. Juggling the two bowls of ice cream, he joined Brooke on the couch.

"For you," he said, handing her a bowl.

"Mmm, thank you."

His arm naturally made it's way around her shoulders and she relaxed against him.

"So," he said, digging into his ice cream, "how did Peyton's thing with Jake go?"

"Great...They kissed, apparently."

"Really?"

"Yeah...then she kissed Julian a few hours later."

Lucas narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. "Not to be mean, but somehow I'm not surprised."

She laughed, but was serious a few seconds later. "I just hope everything turns out alright for all three of them. I don't want to see any of them hurt."

"Neither do I...it's almost inevitable, though."

She sighed. "I wish it wasn't."

Her head rested on his shoulder and his hand moved to the side of her head, playing with her hair. For a few minutes, they simply sat in silence, enjoying each other's company. Then she turned to him, a mischievous smile playing on her lips.

"You know, since you've been so amazing tonight, I think I will give you that kiss you asked for earlier."

He cocked an eyebrow, more than surprised. "Really?"

"Yeah...I think you deserve it."

He was so incredibly tempted, but he knew that this kiss wouldn't mean the same thing to her as it did to him and he didn't want to make it seem like he was taking advantage of her.

"That's okay," he said, looking at her softly as he tucked a piece of stay hair behind her ear. "You don't have to."

"But I want to."

"And I want you to too, believe me, but I don't want you to feel like you need to."

"And I just told you to that I _wanted _to. Am I not getting through to you or something?"

He chuckled softly. She was looking up at him, her face only a few inches from his, and he really wanted nothing more than the close that gap and kiss her.

"Fine," he said, "but only because you're irresistible."

Then he gave into her, his lips brushing gently against hers. Her hand cupped his cheek, pulling him closer. He pulled away a second later, looking down at her intensely.

"I love you," he said, unable to help the words from slipping out.

Her eyes stared intently into his. "You know how I feel about you."

Then she pulled his head down and again he didn't resist her. A content sigh escaped his lips as she ran her hand through his short hair. This time she was the one to pull away. She rested her forehead against his, taking both her hands in his and kissing her knuckles softly.

"What does this mean?" he asked, because he knew that there had to be more to this than just her rewarding him for tonight.

She moved forward, tucking her head underneath his chin. "It means keep fighting. You're doing a good job."

He wanted to argue with her, to tell her that she couldn't keep kissing him like that and expect them to go back to being friends the next day, but instead he remained quiet, knowing that arguing wouldn't get him anywhere. He would take what he would get and for now that was enough.

So he placed a kiss on her forehead and she closed her eyes, a small smile on her face. He didn't know exactly what they were now, but he knew it wouldn't be long before she was officially his again. Until then, though, he would simply keep fighting.

* * *

**A/N: **Okay, so that's the fifth update in like six days. I think that's a record for me :D. I'm also pretty sure this was the longest chapter I've ever written, which was pretty cool. Of course, half of it was was written a few months ago, so I didn't actually write all of that today, but whatever...it still counts :D.

So I put up a poll on my profile page and it's for who you want Peyton to end up with in this story. I'm only going to keep it up for about a week (maybe less, depending how many updates I get up in between then), so if you care about who she ends up with, please make sure to vote!

Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed last chapter! You guys are awesome and are truly the reason I've been writing so fast. I've had so many reviews within the last few days, that I haven't had the time to respond to all of them, but please know that I appreciate each and every one!

**Lena: **Don't worry, I'm going to bring up the reason why Brooke truly broke up with him pretty soon. I definitely haven't forgotten about it :D. I've been planning on it for awhile now and I've got it all figured out on how it's going to happen. Thanks for your review and I hope you enjoyed this chapte despite the heavy amounts of Peyton/Pulian/Jeyton.


	17. Faith

**Faith**

Lucas sat on the benches at the Rivercourt and watched silently as his brother scooped up his godson and helped him dunk the ball into the basket. Jamie let out an excited whoop as the ball slipped out the bottom of the net.

"Did you see that, Uncle Luke?"

"I sure did. You better watch out, Nate. This kid keeps getting better and better."

Nathan chuckled and set Jamie back onto the ground. Jamie eagerly picked up the basketball, dribbling it as best he could around the court. Nathan took a seat next to Lucas.

"So, made any progress with Brooke yet?"

"Kind of..."

Truthfully, he wasn't sure what exactly was going on between him and Brooke. He supposed that they'd made a lot of progress at dinner last night, but he still hadn't won her over. He hadn't expected to, though. She told him to keep fighting and that was would do. In his mind, he'd only begun his battle to win back her trust and her heart.

"What do you mean _kind _of?"

"I guess we're kind of stuck somewhere in between friendship and more," Lucas explained.

"Not a bad place to be," Nathan remarked. "I mean, at least neither of you are hiding your feelings anymore."

Lucas nodded, while Jamie hopped up onto the benches, an excited look on his face. "Uncle Luke, are you and Aunt Brooke together yet?"

"Not quite," Lucas said, chuckling softly as he pulled Jamie onto his lap.

"You guys are taking forever! Why can't you just kiss her and get on with it?"

He and Nathan both laughed, but Jamie was clearly serious. Haley had told him not that long ago that Jamie was rooting for the him and Brooke to get together. Apparently he wanted Brooke to be a Scott just like him.

"I wish it was that easy, buddy, but sometimes these things just take time."

"But why?" Jamie persisted.

That was a loaded question and he wasn't quite sure how to properly answer it for his godson, but thankfully he was saved him from answering it as Nathan spoke.

"Come on, J. Luke, I believe you owe me another game."

Lucas sent Nathan a grateful glance as Nathan pulled Jamie onto his shoulders, quickly distracting the little boy. He watched father and son play, but it was hard for him to concentrate as he thought of Jamie's question.

There were many reasons why it was going to take some time for him and Brooke to reunite, but he didn't think Jamie would be able to fully understand, nor did he want to admit to his godson just how much he'd hurt Brooke. That was one of his biggest regrets in life and it was something he'd rather keep from Jamie, who looked up to him more than anyone.

He wasn't going to hurt Brooke again, though. There would be no reason to keep anymore secrets from Jamie. He was absolutely sure of that.

**888**

Peyton felt like she was in another world as she sat next to Jake on the park bench, watching the little girl she hadn't seen in over five years play on the jungle gym. She still couldn't believe how big Jenny had gotten. Jenny wasn't the little baby she'd held in her arms anymore and it made her regret not being a part of her life for so long.

Jenny had immediately taken to her, though, and it had surprised Peyton how quick they were to bond again. Maybe it was the fact that Jake had told Jenny all about her or maybe Jenny was simply a very sociable kid, but their reunion had been so natural and so comfortable; it was almost like Peyton had been gone days and not years.

"What's going on in that pretty head of yours?"

She smiled over at Jake. She didn't think she'd ever get enough of being around him again and she was so happy that she'd managed to get him to sign onto her label. It meant she'd be seeing a lot of both him and Jenny and that was the best part of it all.

"I'm just thinking about how great it is to be with you and Jenny again."

"It's pretty crazy, isn't it? After all these years a part, who would have thought we'd be back here again?"

"Yeah, it's kind of amazing..." She trailed off as her eyes latched onto his and he sent her a soft smile.

"So can I ask you something kind of personal?" he asked.

"Sure."

"What's the story between you and that Julian guy?"

And there was the one thing that had been keeping her from fully enjoying her time with Jake and Jenny. She was having more of a problem pushing Julian out of her mind than she thought she would. She'd been feeling guilty about everything most of the day and, even though she was easily distracted by Jake, her mind kept on straying back to Julian.

"He and I used to date back in LA," she tried to explain. "He's actually the one producing Lucas' movie."

Jake nodded slowly and Peyton was surprised to see that he seemed slightly guilty. "About last night...I hope I haven't caused any trouble between you two."

"Why would you think that?" she asked in surprise.

"Well, it kind of looked like something was going on between you both." He paused, looking confused. "Or maybe I was just jumping to conclusions?"

"We're just friends, Jake."

"Oh..." He looked away from her, his eyes landing on his daughter. "I guess that makes me feel a little bit better about that kiss."

Peyton definitely didn't feel better about, though, especially since she'd kissed Julian not long after that. She and Jake hadn't really talked about the kiss or what it meant and she didn't think they would any time soon. There was no way they'd just jump back into each other's arms after all these years, even if part of her wanted to. They were different people now and they needed to get to know each other again. Who even knew if they would be good together anymore?

Jake seemed to sense her change in mood; he turned to look at her again, his eyes narrowing in concern.

"Are you okay?"

She nodded, sending him a reassuring smile. "Yeah, I'm fine."

At that moment, Jenny came running over to them, an excited grin on her lips.

"Peyton, do want to come push me on the swings?" she asked.

"I'd love to," she said and Jenny grabbed her hand, leading her over to the swings. She sent one last glance at Jake and, not for the first time that day, she was able to forget about everything else for just a moment and simply lose herself in his sweet smile.

**888**

Brooke was supposed to be putting the finishing touches on the designs of her latest line, but she found herself continuously distracted by the the wonderful thing she called her mind. And her mind was of course consumed with thoughts of none other than Lucas Scott. This was normally a good thing, but she'd been putting off these designs for weeks now and she really needed to finish them soon.

"Brooke?"

She looked up from the sketch that she'd spent the last ten minutes simply staring at to find Millicent standing in the doorway of her office.

"What's up?"

"Someone's here to see you."

There was something in the way Millicent was speaking that worried Brooke and for one horrifying second she though that it was her mother who was there, but then a familiar face stepped out from behind Millicent and her fears flew out the window.

"Hey, slut..."

"Rachel!"

She hadn't even realized until now how much she'd missed the feisty redhead who'd become one of her best friends. Millicent quickly disappeared, leaving them alone. There was a small, guilty smile on Rachel's face as she stood in the doorway. Brooke knew why she was acting that way, but she didn't care; she was just so happy to see her again.

She jumped out from behind her desk, running forward to pull Rachel into her arms. The redhead seemed surprised at first, but she quickly hugged back.

"I'm so happy that you came home."

Rachel pulled away, sighing softly. "I'm so sorry about the money, Brooke."

Brooke cut her off. "You don't even have to apologize. I figured out on my own that Victoria told you to do it."

"Doesn't change the fact that I shouldn't have done it... It didn't take long after I left town for me to realize how screwed up I was. I mean, I stole thousands of dollars from my best friend. I was too much of a coward to come back, but I decided to put the money to good use, so I checked myself into rehab."

"That's great, Rachel," Brooke said, proud that her friend had finally stepped up and taken care of her addiction.

"I checked out a little over a month ago and I've been clean for almost five months. And now I'm here to pay you back." She watched in surprise as Rachel pulled out a check from her purse and held it out to her. "I think this should cover it."

Brooke immediately began to protest. Rachel might have taken the money without her permission, but she'd used to it to get help and Brooke wouldn't make her pay for that.

"I want to do this," Rachel interrupted. "Actually, I _need _to do this. I don't think I'll ever be able to get rid of this guilt if I don't"

"I don't want the money," Brooke said simply. "I would have given it to you if you'd asked and I wouldn't have expected you to pay it back."

"Please, Brooke..." Rachel continued to hold out the check. "Just take it."

Her eyes fell to the check and she let out a long sigh. Rachel was stubborn and she wouldn't be quick to give up on this. So Brooke grudgingly took it.

"Fine."

This move seemed to completely change Rachel's previously somber mood.

"Well, that's a load off my shoulders!"

Brooke chuckled. "Glad I could help. Seriously, Rach, it's great to have you home."

"It's actually pretty great to be back. I kind of missed this place."

"And what about me? Did you miss me too?"

"Eh..." Rachel laughed as Brooke playfully hit her arm. "Yeah, I did. I know this sounds kind of cheesy, but I really don't know what I'd do without you, Brooke."

"You're right," Brooke said, grinning, "that is cheesy...but that's okay because you know how cheesy I can be!"

"That's true. After all, you're the one who can sit through those God awful Molly Ringwald movies without a single cringe."

"Hey, those movies are not awful!"

Rachel responded with an eye roll. "Okay, I would argue with you, but I don't think that would get me anywhere, so instead I'll ask how things have been going with you."

"Things are kind of crazy, actually."

"Ooh, drama. I love it. So what's the scoop?"

She sighed, thinking of everything that had happened while Rachel was gone. There was definitely a lot to explain.

"You got a few hours?" she asked sarcastically.

Rachel just grinned. "Oh, how I missed Tree Hill."

**888**

"That _bitch!_"

Brooke watched in amusement as Rachel continued blasting off a series of very unflattering names for her mother. She'd just told her what happened with Victoria and the attack and Rachel was not very pleased, to say the least.

"I swear, I'm gonna kill that whore the first chance I get."

"You'd be wasting your time, Rach. I'm pretty sure Victoria is virtually indestructible."

"How could she do something like that to her own daughter? I mean, I knew she was bad, but I didn't think she was _that _bad." Rachel let out a heavy sigh as she came over to sit next to Brooke on the edge of the desk. "I'm so sorry, Brooke. I wish I could have been here to help you get through that. It must have been horrible."

"It was tough," she admitted, "but everyone here was so supportive and I think I recovered much more quickly because of them. But you can do something now to help me..."

Rachel looked at her curiously. "What?"

"You can stick around Tree Hill for more than just a couple days this time."

"I don't think that'll be a problem," Rachel said with a grin. "I'm not sure I'm ready to go back to New York. There's too many temptations there."

"Then it's settled. You'll stay here with me and I'll even give you a job here at the store."

"Hold on there, Brooke," Rachel said, chuckling, "if I'm going to live here, I want to start doing things on my own. I can't keep relying on everyone else to take care of me."

"But you're still recovering from everything. At least stay with me until you're back on your feet completely. And please don't even protest me giving you a job here. You need to work in order to provide for yourself and I don't think there's a better place for you to do that than here. Plus, I'm not sure anyone else would put up with you."

"Funny," Rachel said, sending her a playful glare. "Alright, I guess I'll take you up on your offer. But only until I get back on my feet."

Brooke smiled triumphantly. "Good."

"So." Rachel made her way behind Brooke's desk, falling down into the chair and propping her feet onto the desk. "Besides your devil of a mother attempting to destroy your life, what else has been going on around here?"

She didn't even know where to begin. There were probably a few things that would interest Rachel more than anything— her constantly changing relationship with Lucas being one of them— but those were also the things Brooke wasn't sure she wanted to bring up yet. She'd had enough of the never-ending discussions concerning her and Lucas and she really didn't think that anyone else could bring any more light to the situation— everything that could have been said, had been said and that was that.

She'd just made the decision to tell Rachel about Peyton's new love triangle when the door to her office squeaked open and the face of the subject she'd just been thinking about appeared.

"Hey, Pretty Girl," Lucas said as he entered the room, but then he froze, his eyes narrowing at the sight of the other person in the room. "Rachel."

"Please tone down the enthusiasm, Lucas. It's kind of overwhelming."

"Sorry," he said, sending the redhead a grin, "I just wasn't expecting to see you here. It's great to have you back, though." He looked questioningly over at Brooke. "I wasn't interrupting anything, was I?"

"No, I was just filling Rachel in on all the latest Tree Hill gossip."

"Good." He took a step towards Brooke and proceeded to pull out a bouquet of flowers from behind his back. "Because I wanted to give you these."

"Gerber daisies," she said, smiling instantly as he handed them to her. "My favorite."

"I know," he said, smiling softly down at her. That was all it took for her to forget that Rachel was sitting just a few feet away and simply lose herself in his eyes.

"Thank you," she murmured.

He nodded, sending her another sweet smile. "Well, I just came to give you these, so I'll leave you both to get back to what I'm sure was a very interesting conversation."

"Oh, it'll only get more interesting," Rachel said, sending Brooke a look that told her she was in for it.

He chuckled and then focused back on Brooke. "I'll see you later."

And then he placed a lingering kiss on her cheek, before turning around and and sending her a playful wink as he disappeared out the door.

"Okay." Brooke turned to look at an expectant looking Rachel. "So when were you planning on telling me that you and Lucas were back together?"

"That's simple— I was _never _planning on telling you, because we're not together."

Rachel let out a disbelieving laugh. "I'm sorry, but I don't understand how you _can't _be together. You two looked like you were about to jump each other right then and there. And the eye sex! God, if I was anyone other than me, I'd have been so uncomfortable watching you two stare at each other like that."

"Really, Rachel," Brooke said with a roll of her eyes, "we're not together, so just leave it."

"So you're telling me that absolutely nothing is going on between you two?"

"Well...yeah, there is kind of something going on..." Obviously, something was definitely going on between them; she just didn't know how exactly she would define it. So she went on to briefly explain what had been going on between her and Lucas recently, starting with when she'd taken care of Angie and ending with her and Lucas' dinner last night. "And now...now I really don't know what we are. I don't even know where go from here, to be honest."

"You know what I think?" Rachel asked after a few seconds of thoughtful silence. "I think that you and Lucas should go for it."

She kinked a surprised eyebrow. She hadn't expected that suggestion to come from Rachel. In fact, she'd been expecting quite the opposite. Rachel had always been quick to make Brooke second guess Lucas back in high school and she'd thought that Rachel would do the same thing now.

"Really?"

"Look, I'm not gonna lie, Lucas isn't exactly the greatest catch and I'm sure you can do better, but he loves you. Just by seeing you two together for like a minute, I can tell that. And I know that he loved you once before too. The guy was head over heels for you and it seems like now he's even more crazy for you, which I really didn't think was possible, but it looks like I was wrong. And since it seems like this love triangle between you, him, and Peyton is no longer an issue, I really don't think there's much of a point in pushing him away anymore. The way I see it, he wants you and you want him, so why not just go for it?"

"But—."

"Yeah, he has hurt you before," Rachel said, taking the very words out of her mouth, "but it's all in the past and I don't think it's fair to assume that history is going to repeat itself."

"I know," Brooke reluctantly admitted.

"But anyways..." Rachel leaned further back into the chair. "I'm done being Dr. Phil. You do what you want to do and I'm sure everything will work out."

Brooke just nodded, relieved that Rachel wasn't going to push her deeper into this conversation. Rachel did have a point, though— Peyton was no longer an issue and she and Lucas both clearly wanted to be with each other, so what was the point in waiting? She was already giving herself to Lucas emotionally and she was having a hard time resisting him physically, so why couldn't she just giver her whole self to him when she was already so close?

"Wait," Rachel said, breaking through her thoughts, "I'm kind of confused. Last time I was here, you were going out with that Owen hunk and now you're all hung up on Lucas. So what exactly happened between you and Owen?"

Brooke let out an exaggerated sigh before chuckling quietly. "That's _another _long story..."

**888**

They were at the studio now. Peyton was in her element and Jake was too. It was clear that Jake was still so passionate about his music and she couldn't have been more happy to have signed someone as talented as him to her label. She just loved listening and admiring the way the music flowed so easily from every inch of him. Some people sang for the fame or because it was their job, but Jake sang because he simply loved it and that was obvious to her from the moment he picked that guitar up the previous night at Tric and played their song.

She glanced over at the clock, wishing that they had more time. She couldn't get enough of listening to him, but thankfully she'd get an abundance of that over the next few months.

"I think we'd better stop for the night," she said reluctantly.

"Wow," he said as he too looked at the clock, "is it seriously already eight?"

"Yup."

He set his guitar down and they walked into her office. "Now that I think about it, I'm kind of starving."

"Me too," she said with a laugh. "How about you come to mine and Brooke's place and I order us some pizza?"

"I say that sounds sounds great."

A few minutes later, they were in Peyton's car, heading towards her house.

"So," she said, glancing over at him, "I meant to ask you last night, but how are things going with Nikki? Is she still in the picture?"

A bitter laugh escaped Jake. "Nikki bailed again about three years ago. I've got full custody of Jenny now."

Peyton shook her head in disbelief. "What happened?"

"It's kind of complicated, but long story short, she ran away with her junkie boyfriend. I'm pretty sure that she's still with him selling drugs somewhere in Florida."

He talked so casually about it, like the fact that his ex-girlfriend and the mother of his child had once again abandoned them was actually okay. She knew that it probably was okay to him, though. After all, Nikki had never been a very reliable mother and her own life had always been unstable.

"Are you okay with that?" she asked him.

Jake just shrugged. "We're better off now. Jenny was really confused at first, but she was still pretty young when Nikki left, so she doesn't remember much of her, which is probably for the best. Even if Nikki came crawling back, there's no chance in hell the judge would even consider giving her joint custody of Jenny again, so I'm really not worried about that anyway."

"And what about you? Have you and Jenny been happy in Savannah?"

"It's been great. Jenny's doing great in school and I've got a pretty good job working at a guitar shop downtown. Sometimes I'll play gigs at some of the local bars too. But yeah...we've been good."

"And has any lucky girl managed to steal your heart?"

She was prying, she knew, but she was curious about Jake's love life. She had no idea if he was taken or single or anything in between. Jake didn't seem to mind, though. He let out a soft laugh and shook his head.

"Nope, I'm still on the market. I don't date too much, to be honest. It's hard when I've got Jenny to worry about. I can't just bring any girl home, you know? Besides, the way I see it, I'm only twenty-three and I've still got plenty of time to settle down, so I'm not in any rush to find someone."

"That makes sense."

She wasn't sure she felt the same about herself, though. She wanted to find the love that she'd been aching for these last few years, the love she'd once had with both Lucas and Jake, and even Julian to an extent. Yes, she was young and she still so life ahead of her, but she couldn't help but want to find her other half sooner rather than later.

"But," Jake continued, "that's not to say that I wouldn't make an exception if I happened to find someone who I truly trusted with both Jenny and myself, someone who I really loved and who loved me too. If I found someone like that, I wouldn't resist..."

She glanced back over at him. He was staring ahead at the road, his face unreadable. She wondered if there was some meaning behind what he'd just said— if maybe he was talking about her, as arrogant as that sounded. But she'd once been that someone he'd just described and she wondered if she could be that person again. Above all, though, she had to wonder if she _wanted _to be that person again...

They arrived at her and Brooke's house a few minutes later. She didn't know if Lucas was there or not and hoped she wouldn't be interrupting anything. When she led Jake inside, though, it definitely wasn't Lucas Brooke was with.

"Rachel?"

The trouble making redhead that she'd never really been incredibly fond of was lounging on the couch next to Brooke.

Rachel eyed her with an air of indifference. "Peyton. Nice to see you again." Then her eyes landed on the person standing behind Peyton and a cocky smile came to her lips. "Wow. Brooke wasn't exaggerating, Peyton— you really do have surprisingly good taste in men. So is this Jake or Julian?"

Peyton sighed in annoyance; of course Brooke had filled Rachel in on all her drama. Brooke sent Peyton a guilty smile as Peyton glared over at her. Luckily, Jake only seemed amused by this all.

"I'm Jake," he said, grinning over at Rachel.

"That's what I thought. You've got this sexy musician vibe going on."

"Thanks, I guess..."

Rachel patted the seat next to her. "Come, Jacob. Sit."

"His name's not Jacob, Rachel," Peyton said, rolling her eyes at Rachel's annoying attempts at flirting. "And he's not a dog either."

"Don't ruin the fun, Peyton. Besides, Jake doesn't mind, does he?"

He just laughed. "Not really. Jacob's kind of a cool name, actually."

"Then I hereby deem you Jacob!"

Peyton crossed her arms in annoyance as she watched Rachel joke around with Jake. She and Rachel had never really gotten along and she had a feeling that wouldn't be changing anytime soon. She was already bothered by Rachel's need to flirt with just about any guy in sight so she certainly wasn't happy that Rachel had taken a liking to Jake.

When she glanced over at Brooke again, her best friend was giving her a look that clearly said not to worry, it's just Rachel and flirting is what she does best, but that still wasn't enough to keep her from glaring daggers at the redhead. Jake seemed to be tolerating her, but he was a guy and Rachel's boobs looked like they were about to pop out, so naturally he was a little more attentive than Peyton had hoped he would be.

Taking a seat next Brooke, she let out a frustrated sigh. This was going to be a long night.

**888**

Brooke was more than grateful when Peyton ushered Jake outside later that night to say goodbye. She loved Jake, but Rachel had Peyton going crazy the whole night and it had made things slightly awkward.

"Was that really necessary?" Brooke asked, turning to Rachel warily.

"Can you really blame me? I mean, Jake is one _hot _single dad. Besides, it's not like Peyton's actually with him."

Brooke let out a frustrated groan. "Do you not know _anything_ about the girl code?"

"Yeah, I do, but Peyton obviously doesn't, so I figured I'd give her a taste of her own medicine."

"Okay, I know that you decided to hate Peyton with me for a little while back in high school and I appreciate you for sticking by me, but I'm over that now and that means you should be too."

Rachel just laughed at that. "I am, Brooke, believe me. I just think it's unfair that she's got all these hot guys pining after her. I'm really at a loss at what's so special about her."

"Come on, Rachel," Brooke said, looking at her pointedly, "you don't even really know her. You need to give her a chance. Actually, scratch that, you _have _to give her a chance, because she lives here too and I will not have you two causing unnecessary drama around here."

Rachel let out an exaggerated sigh, her head falling back onto the couch. "Fine. I'll try to be nice."

"Thank you."

The door swung open and a very annoyed looking Peyton came back in. "Brooke," she said, glancing over at her, "your boyfriend's here."

Then her attention went back to Rachel and Brooke quickly excused herself before the chaos erupted.

"Hey," she said, slipping out onto the porch. Lucas was leaning against the porch railing, his arms crossed in amusement as Peyton's loud voice could be heard even through the closed door.

"What's that about?"

"Oh, it's just Peyton and Rachel arguing over Jake."

"Do I want to know?"

"It's nothing. It's just Rachel being Rachel and Peyton being Peyton and since Peyton and Rachel don't mix, there's bound to be some friction, especially with a guy involved."

"That's true," he said, chuckling as he took a few steps towards her. His hand grazed hers and she couldn't help but smile as he pulled it up to his face and gently kissed her knuckles. "I've barely seen you today."

"I know," she said, her eyes meeting his. "With Rachel here, things have been kind of hectic. I'm kind of surprised you didn't come over here for dinner, though."

"I thought you and Rachel could use the time to catch up. Besides, I had some writing to do."

She cocked an eyebrow. "Are you starting on a new book?"

"Nope"

She watched curiously as he reached into his back pocket and pulled out an envelop.

"A letter?"

He nodded, handing it over to her. She held the letter in her hands, memories popping up in her mind of the times when they'd exchanged their letters years ago. She still had the ones he'd written her, eleven in all, if she remembered correctly. And now there was another to add to the collection.

"Do you want me to read it now?"

"Read it tonight. Alone, preferably. I'm not sure I want Rachel reading it."

"Why?" she asked with a grin. "Is there something _naughty _in here, Lucas Scott?"

He laughed. "No, it's not one of those letters."

"That's a shame."

"Maybe next time, though," he said, his arms wrapping around her waist.

"I'll hold you to that."

He smiled, resting his forehead against hers. She looked up at him and their eyes met. She wanted to kiss him again, but she knew that she couldn't keep giving in to him every time she felt like it. But there was still a part of her that kept questioning why she was even resisting him in the first place.

The answer to that was simple: she didn't want to get hurt again. But, as she saw the love written so clearly in his eyes, she knew without a doubt that he wasn't going to hurt her again.

"I love you," he said and her heart melted at his words. "I know I've been saying that a lot and I really hope I'm not scaring you away, but it's true and I'm going to be telling you that everyday for the rest of your life, so you might as well get used to it."

She didn't mind. In fact, she'd never get over hearing him tell her that he loved her. It was one of the most amazing feelings.

"I'm gonna go," he said, his arms falling back to his side as he took a step back.

She just nodded, although she wanted nothing more than for him to stay. He craned his neck down, his lips meeting her cheek.

"Night," he murmured, smiling softly at her as he turned away. She watched him disappear. Her heart was torn. She wanted so badly to just give into him and let herself be happy, but the fears of getting hurt again were still strong.

She sat down on the steps, pulling out the letter. She could still hear Peyton and Rachel arguing inside, but their voices were quickly drowned out as she started to read...

_Pretty Girl,_

_I'm not sure how to start this off. Truthfully, I have so much to say to you, yet it's hard to put it into words. Ironic, isn't it? I'm a writer and I can't even fully describe to you just how much I love you. _

_I don't know for sure when it happened— when I started falling for you all over again. I think it might have been around the time you got Angie. There was something about seeing you holding that little girl that just brought omething to life in me. It was a scary feeling, I'll admit. I tried to ignore it and I think I did a pretty good job of it by distracting myself with trying to get Lindsay back, but watching you be a mother to that beautiful baby girl had me going insane inside because it made me question our past and if that could have been our own child you held in your arms. _

_I remember that night you came to my house with Angie. I watched her while you finished your designs and then we fell asleep together on the couch. That night will forever be imprinted in my mind because it was the first time in such a long time that I felt an overwhelming sense of peace, like I was finally where I belonged— with you. We were a family, if only for a few months, and I know that that was the beginning of the end for me. That was when I fell in love with you all over again._

_Not many people know this, probably because it wasn't my shining moment, but a few months ago I did something stupid. I booked two tickets to Las Vegas and planned to call someone and ask them to marry me. Crazy, right? I considered asking you, though. And I know you probably think that that's the most insane part, but even then, I knew in my heart that I loved you and that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you-- I just wasn't ready to actually fully admit it yet. I wouldn't have called you, though. Not because I didn't love you, but because I was a coward and I was scared of the rejection that calling you would bring. I think that's why I called Haley and she knocked some sense into me. I like to pretend that moment never happened, but it did and it's not something I can take back. All I know is that I'm glad I didn't call Peyton or Lindsay or even you, because my heart was still so conflicted then and I think that it only would have ended in chaos. _

_My heart's not conflicted anymore, though. I know what I want and I know who I want. I've never been so sure of something in my entire life and I'm not going to let anyone else tell me otherwise. People tried to get me believe that Peyton was the comet in my book, but I never fell into that trap. Because it was you. I was waiting for you to come back to me and now you have. _

_You said that my word doesn't mean much anymore and you're right— I've changed my mind too many times to count and as a result ended up hurting you and Peyton and Lindsay in the process. If there is one thing I regret most in my life, it's the hurt I inflicted on all three of you. I wish I could take it back, but I can't, and it's something I'll live with everyday. _

_But I need to ask you to have faith in me now. I know that that's easier said than done, but it's the only way we can work. I can prove to you over and over that you're the only one I want to be with and I gladly will, but I think that it all comes down to faith and trust. Because how can we ever succeed if we don't have faith in ourselves? There's no hope if we rely simply on actions and words. We need to believe that we can work. And I do. I do believe that and I will believe it for the rest of my life._

_I'm not asking you to just drop all your fears and insecurities and just jump right back into my arm. On the contrary, I don't want you to jump into something you're not ready for. I'm simply asking for you to think about my words and the fact that, like you said, it takes more than love to make a relationship work. It takes hard work and determination too, but, above all, it takes the belief in yourself and in me that we can make our relationship work, through the good times and the bad times._

_I really hope you don't feel like I'm trying to rush you into anything. I don't mean for this letter to be taken this way. I just want you to know that I love you and that I'll wait forever for you. I've reached the point of no return and there's no going back. You're the girl for me, Brooke Davis, and I'm the guy for you. There's no one else for me. _

_I love you, Pretty Girl, and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you._

_Lucas_

And that was when she gave up. She gave up trying to fight him and she gave up dwelling on the fears that weren't going to come true. She was done making the choice to run away from the happiness that she deserved. Instead, she was now choosing to simply have faith in him. She was going to give him her heart again and, even though it was scary, it also felt right.

Because there was no one else for her. Lucas Scott was the guy for her and she was the girl for him.

* * *

**A/N: **Sorry for the long wait (compared to the last time, at least :D). This chapter was mostly filler, but the good news is that the Brucas reunion is right around the corner.

I also just wanted to update all you Awakening fans about that one shot I told you I was planning— I haven't forgotten it. I'm still in the process of writing it, but this story has been taking up my time, so it's taking awhile to finish it. I'll probably finish it sometime within the next month, so keep a look out for it because it _is _coming!

Thanks so everyone for reading and please remember to review!


	18. Reunion

**Reunion**

Brooke stood at his bedroom door, still clutching the letter in her hands. She was a little nervous now. After all, she was about to change her whole relationship with Lucas. There would be no going back. But she'd made the choice to be brave and that was what she was going to do. So, taking a deep breath, she lifted her hand and knocked.

She twisted the letter nervously in her hand, only stopping when she realized that she was practically destroying it, and then the door was opened and she knew that this was it.

Lucas didn't seem surprised to see her. He leaned against the door frame, a soft smile on his lips.

"Hey."

She held the letter up, her eyes narrowing. "Did you really think you could just give this to me and walk away?"

He frowned. "Was it too much? I'm sorry, I knew that I might be overstepping some boundaries, but I—."

"Luke," she interrupted, chuckling softly as she realized she'd given him the wrong impression, "it was beautiful."

"Oh..." he mumbled, clearly relieved.

"Thank you, Lucas."

"For what?"

"For showing me just how much you love me. I know I said that your words don't mean much anymore, but the truth is, they do. They mean so much. And this letter proves that. But you were right about something else. I need to have faith in us. I can't just rely on what you do and what you say, I need to believe that we're going to work or else there's no possible way that we can."

She took a step towards him, closing the distance between them, and laced her fingers through his. His eyes probed intensely into hers as he quietly listened.

"I should apologize, though, because I don't think I ever really had that faith in you and in us. I never could believe that you actually wanted me and not Peyton. And that's what ruined us.."

Lucas seemed a little confused as she said this and she knew it was because he still didn't really understand the meaning behind her words. He didn't know why she really broke up with him last time and because of that, he was mostly in the dark about her past insecurities.

She could practically feel the other letter burning through her jean pocket, where it was hidden from his view. This letter would explain everything to him. It was time that he knew.

Before she could say anything, though, his hand cupped her cheeks and he spoke, "It doesn't matter anymore, Brooke. We're different people now. We can start over."

"I know," she murmured and she agreed with him. She wanted nothing more than to start fresh with him, throwing all her old insecurities away, but first he had to know _why _she had truly chosen to end their relationship so many years ago. She didn't think he'd be able to really understand her if he didn't.

So she pulled out the letter that had been sealed shut over five years ago. His eyes fell to it in confusion.

"I need you to know something, though," she said. "You need to understand why it was so hard for me to put that faith into us."

He took the letter from her, looking down at it questioningly. "When did you write this?"

"The night I broke up with you senior year...I guess it's letter 83." His eyes fell back on her in surprise, but she put a hand over his before he could say anything. "I want you to read it. You deserve to know."

**888**

He deserved to know what? Lucas wasn't sure what she was talking about, but he had a feeling it had something to do with why she'd broken up with him. He always knew there was more to it than her telling him that she'd stopped missing him, but he'd never known for sure. Now, though, it was clear that there was more to it and he was relieved that he was finally going to find out.

Lucas moved back into his bedroom, taking a seat on the edge of the bed. He looked over at Brooke, who was standing at the door. Smiling gently, he patted the spot next to him. He wanted to do this with her. She took a seat next to him and then he carefully opened the envelop, sliding the letter out.

_Luke,_

_I broke up with you tonight and it was without a doubt the hardest thing I've ever done. You have to understand that I didn't want to do it. I didn't stop missing you. In fact, not one second goes by that I'm not wishing I was with you. I love you. I'm not even exaggerating when I say that there is no one else on this earth that I love more than you. But I had to let you go. It's still killing me, but it was something I had to do and I hope that someday you can understand why._

_Peyton loves you. And no, I'm not just imagining things, because I know that I'm right. Peyton told me that right to my face last night at Nathan and Haley's rehearsal. You were confused about why we're fighting and now you know. She wants you. And let's face, soon you'll want her too. You can deny that all you want, but you and I both know it's true. _

_You and Peyton never got the chance to be together. I was in your way the first time and then you decided it was me you wanted again, but how do you know that it's not Peyton you really want? Maybe you're hiding behind me because you don't think Peyton wants you? I don't know, Lucas. I really don't. All I know is that I can't live in the fear that you'll leave me for Peyton all over again. I can't go through that again. _

_But this isn't just for me. This is for you too. Sometimes when you love someone, you've got to set them free. That's what I'm doing. I want you to be happy, even if that means it's not with me. And I think you can be happy with Peyton. I know that she wants to be happy with you. So you're getting your chance now and I want you to take it. It'll hurt, but I think that I'll get over it someday._

_And, if by some chance, you and Peyton don't work out and we find ourselves pulling together again, then I'll know we're meant to be. For now, though, I need let you go._

_Always,_

_Brooke_

He tore his eyes away from the paper, his gaze landing on her. "Brooke..."

She sent him a weak smile, her hand covering his. He almost couldn't believe what he'd just read. After all these years, he finally understood why she'd broken up with him. More than anything, he understood why she was so scared to be with him again and why she'd told him earlier that she never put enough faith in their relationship.

And then he was angry. Not with Brooke, but with the girl who Brooke had sent him off to, the girl who'd never once mentioned that she'd torn down his and Brooke's whole world. It was infuriating to know that in just one night Peyton had ruined them.

He was trying to hold down the anger, to keep his face neutral and calm, but it was so hard to do when he was so completely dumbfounded as to why Peyton thought she had the right to tear down the relationship he and Brooke had worked so hard to build.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked, keeping his voice steady.

"I...I don't know."

"You should have told me. _Peyton _should have told me."

"I know," she said with a sigh. But then there was a challenging tone in her voice. "Would it have really made a difference, though?"

He stared at her in disbelief. "Would it have made a difference? Of course it would have! I loved you, Brooke. I loved _you _and only you, but you just had to assume that if Peyton wanted me, then I would want her too and I'm sorry, but that's just bullshit."

"Yeah?" Her eyes narrowed and he knew that this conversation was bothering her more than she wanted it to. "Then why did you and Peyton hook up not even a month after we broke up?"

"Because _you _kept pushing me over to her! And I could never understand why you were doing it, but now I do and you know what? You were _wrong_."

Standing up, he paced around the room. He was yelling now, but he didn't care. The anger and frustration he didn't even realized he'd been carrying over the years was being released and it couldn't be stopped. He needed Brooke to understand that his heart _was _with her and she was wrong to assume otherwise. It wasn't fair for her to push him to Peyton. It wasn't fair for anyone but himself to choose who he loved.

"I knew how I felt. There was no doubt in my mind. I loved you, not Peyton, but you, along with everyone else, had decided that I was meant to be with Peyton. And I guess after awhile I let myself believe that that was true, but I couldn't live in that lie forever. That's why I'm here with you today. Because I know who I want now and I who I want is you. And I'm not going to let anyone else tell me otherwise."

Letting out a sigh of resignation, he leaned against the door, running a tired hand through his hair. Brooke looked over at him with guilty eyes and one glance at them had him calming down. He didn't mean to take this all out on Brooke, but he was just so frustrated that she hadn't believed that he'd really wanted her. She was right about what she'd said earlier— she hadn't had any faith in him or her or in their relationship.

For a few long moments, neither said anything else. He'd said everything that he needed to say and now he needed to hear her point of view.

She stood up, moving over to stand in front of him. "You're right," she finally said, "I shouldn't have assumed who you wanted to be with. I was just so scared that even if you didn't want her then, you'd want her someday and I couldn't bear the fear of waiting for that day to come, so I decided to lose you on my own terms to try to save myself the pain."

"Did it save you any?"

"No. I think it only killed me more."

She looked so lost as she said that, as if she was remembering the pain she'd been through all over again, and his frustration died down completely. Taking her hands in his own, he sent her a soft smile.

"You know I'm not mad at you, right?"

"I wouldn't blame you if you were."

"It's all in the past, Brooke. You did what you did and we can't change that. All that matters is now." One of his hands moved up to her face, caressing her cheek. "I just need you to put some faith in me and our relationship because there's no way we can work if you don't."

"I do," she said, their eyes locking. "I do have faith in you. I have faith in _us_." She put a hand on his face, tracing his jaw. "I've been hiding my feelings away from you these past few years, trying to keep myself from getting hurt again, but I can't do it anymore. I'm so damn in love with you, Lucas, and sometimes I hate it, but there's really nothing I can do because you own my heart. You always have and you always will. So I'm going to stop hiding and for once, I'm going to let myself be happy."

A small smile formed on his lips. She was ready to be with him. He almost wondered if he was dreaming because it felt too good to be true. But this was real. Still, he had to make sure that she was truly ready. He didn't want her to feel pressured to be with him. He would wait forever for her.

"Brooke, are you sure you want to do this? Because I don't want to—."

She silenced him with a kiss. "I'm sure," she said, pulling away only a second later. "I want to be with you, Lucas. I've never wanted anything more in my life."

His smile grew as his hands cupped her face. He didn't even say anything; her words were permission enough. He just brought his face down to hers, his nose rubbing against her affectionately, and then he was kissing her.

His hands ran up and down her back as her lips moved eagerly against his. He stumbled backwards as she wrapped her legs around his waist and his arms instinctively clung to her, having no desire to ever let her go again. Her lips moved to his neck as his back hit the wall and he let out a loud moan. Her hand ran furiously through his hair, her other hand grasping tightly onto his shirt.

Brooke was moving so freely and so quickly with him, but he didn't mind; it had been years since they'd been allowed to touch each other like this, with no worries, with no fears of what the morning after would bring. They could be together now, in every single way, and he couldn't think of anything better than this.

"I want you," she gasped, one of her hands managing to pull at his pants.

It was his chivalry that forced him to ask, once again, "Are you sure?"

Her reply did not come with words; she sent him a playful grin as her legs slid down his waist and then her lips were on his again. And that was when he stopped questioning, when he stopped worrying about any consequences this would bring. Instead, he lost himself in her, leaving everything else behind, if only for a little while.

**888**

They were laying on his bed now and Lucas' arms were wrapped around her middle as they rested on their sides. A comfortable silence had taken over them and, as Lucas' warm breathes poured into her ear, she was sure that sleep had found him.

Brooke held both his hands in her own. She found herself playing with his fingers, something that felt oddly amazing probably considering the fact that she hadn't done it since high school, when they were last together. She never imagined she would get to do it again. She'd never imagined she'd get to do any of this with Lucas again. And yet, here she was, lying naked in his bed— a bed she hadn't slept in in over five years—and they were together again, with nothing standing in their way.

It was amazing and maybe just a bit scary at the same time. But she knew that they were going to be okay. She had faith in them now and she truly believed that they could work. Peyton or no Peyton, she wasn't going to give him up this time. Lucas had been right when he'd told her that it wasn't fair for her to decide who he was meant to be with and she wasn't going to make that mistake again.

Lucas' arms tighten around her and then his soft lips were grazing her neck. She rolled over to face him. His eyes were just barely open as she looked at him, but a content smile was on his lips. He closed the already short distance between them, kissing her softly.

"I love you," he murmured.

She kissed the tip of his nose. "I love you too."

It felt so good to say those words again. There was so much more meaning behind the words now and she didn't think she could ever hear it enough. And, as she tucked her head under his chin and her eyes slowly closed, she decided that there was absolutely nothing else in this world that could feel more perfect than this.

**888**

Peyton trudged tiredly into the studio, throwing her bag onto the couch before falling into the big chair behind her desk. It was early. Way too early for her to be at the studio, in fact, but Jake had promised his family he'd spend most of the day with them and that meant he had a very limited amount of studio time. And, since Jake was going back to Savannah tomorrow, she needed to take advantage of any time she could get with him, not just because she wanted to get as much work done on his album as possible, but because she just loved being around him.

It was a little scary, actually, at how attached she'd gotten to him in such a short amount of time. She wished she hadn't, because that made saying goodbye so much harder and she hated goodbyes more than anything. Now, though, she was sure that Jake was back in her life for good. Even after his album was finished, she knew that he was going to stick around. He'd even told her so, something that made her ridiculously happy.

And then she thought of Julian. He'd called her just last night and they'd talked for awhile. She's missed hearing his voice and having him around and, in similar fashion to Jake, she realized she was getting too attached to Julian as well. It was hard, though, when he made her so happy. It was even harder when there was another guy who was making her feel the same way, if not even more so.

She was pulled from her thoughts as the door swung open. She was expecting to see Jake, but was instead greeted by a tired looking Lucas. She definitely hadn't been expecting to see him, considering she was pretty sure that Brooke had spent the night at his place, at least according to the rather vague text Brooke had sent Peyton at around two in the morning.

"Hey, Luke. Have a good night with Brooke?"

She sent him a teasing grin, but his gaze was cold, leaving her confused. He stopped in front of her desk, crossing his arms as he glared down at her.

"What's going on?"

"You lied to me."

She just cocked her head to the side in confusion, not at all sure what he was talking about.

"What?"

"Brooke told me what you did back in high school at Nathan and Haley's rehearsal. You told her that you still had feelings for me."

And now things were starting to click and she realized that, after all these years, Lucas had still been clueless about the real reason for his and Brooke's breakup. But now he knew and she couldn't blame him for being angry with her.

"Luke, I'm so sorry."

"Save it," he said, shaking his head angrily, "I don't even want to hear an apology. I just want to understand why you never bothered to tell me this. I wondered aloud countless times about why she broke up with me and you know what you always told me? _I don't know_." He let out a bitter laugh. "You really did know, Peyton, and yet you didn't tell me. Why was that? Why do you think I didn't deserve to know?"

"I don't know..."

"And there it is again. You don't know. I've heard that enough and I'm tired of hearing it. I want answers, Peyton, because quite frankly I think I deserve some. I spent all these years in the dark, only to find that you and Brooke have been keeping this very valuable piece of information from me and I want you know _why_. And you know what else I want to know? I want to know why you thought you even had the right to tell Brooke that you wanted me. I want to know what in the world you were thinking when you told her that, because I sure as hell can't understand why, after everything the three of us had been through, you felt the need to bring it all up again!"

"I'm sorry, Lucas" she murmured helplessly. "I really am. I just...I don't know why I did it. I really don't."

That was all she could tell him because she really didn't know. It was one of her biggest regrets, actually, and she still couldn't understand why she'd done it.

"I don't know why either," he said, the frustration in his voice evident. "You _knew _that you were always her biggest insecurity when it came to her and me and you had to know that telling her was going to destroy us. You _had _to know that. And yet you still did it. You did it full well knowing what would happen."

He paused to look right at her and in his eyes was a look of resentment that she'd seen in them not that long ago— that infamous night when he'd told her he hated her. And now she was wondering if they were about to go through that all over again.

"You ruined us."

There was no anger, no hatred, in his voice now; just disappointment. And that was worse than anything else.

He turned away from her and sat down on the couch. His face fell into his hands and for a few long seconds, neither said anything. She didn't know what else she could say, even though she was killing herself trying to find the right words to let him know that she truly was sorry. That was the thing, though; all she could do was apologize. Anything else, any explanations or excuses, were useless.

"I'm so sorry...I...I wish I could take that night back, believe me I do."

He lifted his head to look at her and the anger was back. And then, without a word he just stood up and headed to the door. Jake appeared outside just as Lucas reached it, but Lucas ignored him as he slipped past. Peyton just watched him go, knowing it was pointless to try to stop him.

Jake's concerned voice filled the silence. "Are you okay?"

Peyton just closed her eyes, trying to stop the overwhelming guilt that was taking over her. "No."

He knelt down next to her and his arm moved to rest around her shoulders.

"What happened?" he gently asked.

She wasn't sure how to explain this all to Jake. He really didn't have much of a clue of what had happened when he sent her back to Tree Hill. She knew, though, that he would understand. He wouldn't criticize her or judge her, even though she deserved it, and that was why she found it so easy to open up to him.

"Back in high school, when I came home from visiting you in Savannah, I did something horribly selfish. I told Brooke that I still had feelings for Lucas. At the time, I didn't know what else to do. I was so confused about how felt for you and Lucas, but I just felt like I needed to do something about it and I didn't even think about what consequences it would bring. Of course Brooke was dating Lucas at the time, so if you really know Brooke, you can imagine how that ended."

"She broke up with him?" Jake guessed.

"Yeah, not even a day later, but she didn't let me off the hook. Brooke and I spent the next few months not talking. It was pretty bad, actually. There were times when I wondered if we'd ever make up. But we did. Somehow Brooke forgave me and once again put me above herself. She wanted me to be happy, even if it meant she was unhappy. And then we moved on and everything was forgotten."

"Okay..." Jake shifted around, sitting on the edge of the desk. "So what just happened with Lucas then?"

"He never knew about that night and I guess Brooke finally told him about it, which was probably for the best, because he deserved to know. He's not happy with me now, though. Brooke had told him that she'd stopped missing him when she broke up with him and she never told him that the real reason was because she was scared that he'd come running to me the moment he knew how I felt about him. I don't know why she ever thought that, though. The guy was head over heels in love with her. But I was her worst fear when it came to Lucas and in the back of my mind, I knew that. I knew she'd give him to me. And instead of just letting Brooke be happy with the only guy she'd ever loved, I put myself first and took that happiness away from her."

There were tears in her eyes now and she wiped them away furiously. She felt so horrible for all the pain she'd caused her best friend.

"Peyton." Jake reached forward, taking her hand in his. "That was all in the past. All that matters now is that Brooke's forgiven you and I'm sure Lucas will be quick to follow."

"Yeah, but it doesn't change the fact that it's always gonna be there. Who knows where Brooke and Lucas would be now if I hadn't done what I did? They could be married with the family they've both wanted for so long and I took that away from them."

"Maybe they would have had that," Jake said, "but you're never going to know, so what's the point on dwelling on what might have been? What you need to focus on is the present and in the present, Brooke and Lucas are together, or pretty damn close to it. They've found their way back to each other. Nothing else should matter anymore."

Peyton nodded slowly, looking down at the ground. Jake was probably right, but she still felt horrible about everything. She never imagined just how much that night would screw with all their lives.

Jake's hand squeezed her own and she looked up at him. He sent her an encouraging smile and she couldn't help but smile back. Then he opened his arms and she just chuckled as stood up and walked right into them. He held her close to him, his hand running soothingly up and down her back, and she just closed her eyes and surrendered to him.

"It's gonna be okay, Peyton," he murmured into her ear. "Lucas will forgive you and everything is going to work out just fine. You'll see."

She simply nodded, trying so hard to believe that he was right.

**888**

The door to Lucas' bedroom creaked open and Brooke immediately sat up in the bed. She'd woken up only ten minutes ago to find that she was all alone. Her first instinctive thought had been that Lucas had run for it, but then she'd realized how ridiculous that was, especially after finding the note he'd left on the night stand telling her that he'd gone out to run an errand, but he'd be home soon.

Lucas sent her a grin as he shut the door behind him and she was more than happy to see the cups of coffee he held in his hands.

"Grande americano with white chocolate."

"Mmm, you're amazing," she said, eagerly reaching for the cup.

"I know," he said with a chuckle before shoving his shoes off and taking a seat next to her on the bed.

"Why were you up so early?" she asked, glancing over at the clock. It was only eight and she'd thought that considering the fact that it was a Sunday, he'd take the time to sleep in.

An odd look came over him at her question and she suddenly had a good idea of what 'errand' he'd had to run.

"I went to talk to Peyton," he said, his face darkening.

She sighed, fully expecting that answer. Lucas wasn't very happy with Peyton after last night and Brooke really hoped he hadn't been too hard on her.

"Luke..."

He quickly cut her off. "I just needed to get this anger out of my system, okay? I just...I felt betrayed by her and I needed to get that out."

"So I'm guessing you were pretty hard on her?"

He shrugged. "I could have been worse."

Brooke remained silent for a moment. Lucas took a sip of his coffee, that typical broody look on his face. She already felt bad for Peyton, who obviously couldn't have expected Lucas' ambush. She hadn't meant to bring up the past last night in order to bring Peyton down, but she should have expected that Lucas wouldn't be pleased with Peyton. Brooke knew that Lucas would get over it after awhile, but it was only fair that he'd need a little time to simmer down before he did.

"Just don't stay mad at her for too long," Brooke said as she laced her fingers through his. "She knows that what she did was wrong and she doesn't need you throwing it in her face. So, just give this some time, okay? I know you're angry now and you have every right to be, but maybe you should just take a couple days to let it all settle in before you deal with Peyton again."

He let out a heavy sigh, but nodded. "Yeah...I will." Then he turned to look at her, a soft smile on his face. "Let's not talk about this anymore."

"Okay," she said, grinning. "What would you prefer we talk about then?"

"Actually, I'd rather not do any talking, if you know what I mean."

She kinked an eyebrow. "Naughty...I like it."

He chuckled and put a hand behind her head, pulling her in for a kiss. She didn't think she'd ever get over how great it was to be able to do this with him again. It had been so long since they'd been a couple and she was beginning to wonder how she'd gone without him for so many years.

"So we're really gonna do this?" he asked as he pulled away.

She laid down on her back, pulling him down with her. "What?"

"Be a couple again."

"Yeah...don't you want to?"

His eyes locked onto hers. "More than anything."

"Me too. All I really want is to be your pretty girl again."

He kissed the top of her head. "You'll always be my pretty girl...just as long as I can be boyfriend."

She grinned, resting her head on his chest. "I don't think that will be a problem."

"Good...because I love being your boyfriend." He rolled on top of her, a playful smile on his lips. "It's got great benefits."

She let out a giggle. "Oh, so you're only with me for the benefits, huh?"

"No." He kissed her, grinning against her lips. "I'm with you because there is absolutely no one else on this earth that makes me feel this way. You're the only one for me."

His intense blue eyes latched onto hers and that she knew without a doubt that he was speaking the truth. She was the one for him and he was the one for her. She didn't know why she'd ever thought otherwise. But she had faith in them now. They were going to work. There was no doubt about that.

She brought her lips up to his, kissing him softly. "And you're the only one for me."

* * *

**A/N: **So Brucas are finally together!!! About time, right :D? I hope the wait was worth it. I just graduated this past week, so school is out and I'll have a lot more time to write these next few months, which means that hopefully the updates will be coming quicker. This story won't be going on for too much longer, though. It's probably got six or seven chapters left, but I'm still not sure...

Also, I removed the poll I put up on my profile the other day because I got a pretty good idea of what the readers want to see. I'm not going to show you the results, because I don't want to spoil you, but I'll just say that the results are very close and still very split, so I'm still not sure what I'm going to do...

Thanks so much to everyone for reading and please remember to review!


	19. Reality

**Reality**

When Peyton returned home from work that night, Brooke still wasn't home and now Peyton was more than curious to know what was going on between Brooke and Lucas. It had been almost twenty-four hours since Peyton had seen Brooke and, except for a text, Brooke hadn't made any move to contact her. Peyton was happy for her, though. The reason Brooke wasn't home was because she was with Lucas, which only meant that she was finally choosing to let herself be happy.

Still, Peyton was also feeling incredibly guilty. Her conversation with Lucas earlier had been draining and, even with a little help from Jake, she still hadn't been able to fully recover from it. Until she talked to both Brooke and Lucas about it again, she didn't think she'd be able to feel better about it. After all, Lucas really did need a better explanation. Her 'I don't know' excuses simply weren't good enough.

Rachel was in the kitchen when Peyton stepped inside and that didn't do anything to lighten her mood. It was going to take a lot of getting used to living with Rachel and she wasn't exactly looking forward to it. She was glad that Rachel was such a great friend to Brooke, but she and Rachel had never really clicked and she didn't imagine they would any time soon, especially since Rachel seemed eager to get her hands on Jake.

"Peyton," Rachel acknowledged, sparing a glance at Peyton before looking back down at the magazine she was reading at the kitchen counter.

"Rachel." Peyton fell onto the couch, a tired sigh escaping her lips. "Have you talked to Brooke at all today?"

"No, but she texted me really early this morning and told me she was at Lucas'."

"Yeah, I got that too. She must still be with him."

Peyton slid her phone out of her pocket, sending a quick text to Brooke to ask if she'd be home tonight. When she looked up from the screen, Rachel was sitting across from her in the armchair, staring at her with narrowed eyes. Peyton sent her an annoyed glare.

"Do you want something?"

Rachel just sent her a cocky grin. "So how does this make you feel, exactly?"

"How does what make me feel?"

"The Brooke and Lucas relationship. Do have any particular urge to screw them over this time?"

Peyton sat up, a frown forming on her lips. Trust Rachel to make her feel even _worse _about what she'd done than she already did. This really hadn't been a good day.

"I'm not the same girl I was in high school anymore, Rachel," Peyton firmly said. "I'm not going to mess things up with them this time. Believe it or not, I'm actually really happy for them."

"I'm guessing you said that last time too. But look what happened..."

Peyton shook her head tiredly. Rachel was right, she had said that last time, but this time was different. This time she knew how she felt. She didn't think she'd ever be able to convince Rachel that, though.

"Why do I bother you so much, Rachel? What have I ever done to you?"

"It's not so much what you've done to me, as what you've done to Brooke. Sometimes I don't think you ever really understand the amount of pain you put her through."

"I _do_ know how much I hurt her. It's one of the biggest regrets of my life, actually, and I wish more than anything that I could take it back. But I'm trying to make it up to her. I'm trying to be the best friend I can be to her because that's all she's ever been to me. Brooke means more to me than Lucas ever will and I'm not ever planning on losing her again because of him. He's not worth it. I just wish I'd seen that back in high school."

For a few moments, neither of them said anything. Rachel was observing her with an unreadable expression, while Peyton just rested her head tiredly against the back of the couch. She could really use a drink right about now.

"Alright," Rachel finally said, "I believe you."

"I'm not asking you to believe me, I'm just asking you to not automatically assume that I'm the same girl I used to be. I love Brooke and I don't ever want to see her hurt again, least of all because of me."

"I know. That's why I said I believe you. From what Brooke's told me, you've been pretty damn good to her these past few months, so the way I see it, I guess that makes you trustworthy. And if Brooke trusts you, then I trust you too."

"Really?" Peyton was kind of surprised at Rachel's quick change in mood and was even more surprised to realize that she was actually really glad to have Rachel's approval.

"Why not? Besides, I don't think I ever really gave you a chance before. I'm not saying we're gonna be all buddy buddy, but I _am _going to be living with you for a little bit, so I think it's time I let you off the hook and at least try to be friends with you."

"That's better than nothing, I guess," Peyton said with a grin.

Rachel just nodded. "Yeah... So now that we're kind of friends, is it okay if I ask Jake out? Because he's pretty hot and I've always had a thing for musicians."

"Well, since we're _kind_ of friends, then no, you can't ask Jake out. You know the girl code, right?"

Rachel scrunched up her face in distaste. "Fine, but girl code only applies for friends, right? So what if I decide that we're _not _friends anymore and I ask him out? That's okay, right?"

Peyton sent her a glare. "No, you _cannot _ask Jake out, whether we're friends or not."

"I don't really understand why I can't."

"Because he's off limits."

"If you're not going out with him, then he's free game."

"Rachel, come on! What happened to trying to be friends?"

"I'm sorry," Rachel said with a shrug, "but I just don't think it's fair that you're hogging all the hot guys. Anyway, the only reason you don't want me going out with Jake is because _you_ want to be with him."

"That's not true..."

"Uh, yeah, it is. Why else would he be off limits? But what about this Julian guy? Do you want to be with him too? Because I hate to break it to you, but unless you've decided to be a polygamist or something, you can only have one in the end. At least let me have your leftovers. I'm really not that picky."

Rachel was the absolute last person she wanted to have this conversation with.

"We're not talking about this right now," she said with finality and she was glad when her phone beeped to announce a text message from Brooke. She just shook her head in amusement as she read it. "Looks like Brooke's spending the night at Lucas' again."

Rachel let out an exaggerated moan as she lazily lifted her feet to rest on the coffee table. "Ugh, she's so lucky. While she's busy getting laid, I'm stuck here with _you_."

"So sorry to ruin your night"

Rachel just shrugged, standing up. "Whatever. I think I need to go out, though. Do you know if Owen's working tonight?"

"I think so."

"Good...if he was willing to sleep with you, there's no way he'd deny me. Wait, you don't want Owen too, do you? "

Peyton rolled her eyes. "No, but you might want to remember that he's Brooke's ex. Girl code, right?"

"Yeah," Rachel said, letting out a snide laugh as she walked to the door, "that girl code stuff is a load of crap, sorry."

Then Rachel was gone and Peyton was left shaking her head in wonder. How she and Rachel would ever manage to actually be real friends, she'd never know.

**888**

"I don't want you to go," Lucas complained for the umpteenth time that morning. He watched in obvious disappointment as Brooke wandered around his room, looking for her clothes. They'd spent all of yesterday together, but she had to work today, which meant they both had to journey back into the real world.

"I know, Luke," she said as she pulled on her shirt, "but it's Rachel's first day at the store and I need to be there to train her."

"Millicent can do it."

Brooke just laughed. "Can you really imagine _Millicent_ trying to train _Rachel_? I need to be there, Luke. Millicent will go crazy if I'm not. Besides, I gave Millicent the afternoon off, so I need to be there eventually."

"Fine," he relented, "but don't be surprised if I show up at the store later today."

She cocked an eyebrow. "Are you gonna be one of those clingy boyfriends?"

He chuckled as he sat up to lean against the headboard. "Maybe a little, but I promise I'll give you some space when you need it. I know how independent you can be."

"That's okay. If I could, I'd spend every waking minute with you."

"I think you'll change your mind about that eventually. I can get kind of annoying after awhile."

"I don't think so," she said, grinning as she flopped back down on the bed. Straddling his lap, she placed a long kiss on his lips. He lost himself immediately in her, his hands running up and down her back, wishing more than anything that he could take her clothes right back off again.

But of course she had to tease him; a second later, she was pulling away, a playful smirk on her lips.

"You're evil," he said, groaning as he fell onto his back.

"I know." She stood back up, walking over to the door to pick up her shoes. "But let's just say that was a preview of tonight."

That didn't do much to sooth him. He pushed the covers off of him and walked up behind her. Wrapping his arms around her, he sprinkled kisses along the back of her neck.

"Are you sure you can't stay for just a little bit longer?" he whispered into her ear.

He could tell he was breaking her, but as she twisted around in his arms, there was a stern smile on her lips.

"I really can't, Lucas."

"And I can't do anything to convince you?"

He proceeded to bring his lips to her ear, sucking on it in the way she'd always loved. She let out a moan as his hands plunged underneath the hem of her shirt, but unfortunately that wasn't enough for him to get her on his side.

"Luke," she said, pushing herself off of him. She looked at him pointedly, making him feel guilty, even though he really didn't have a reason to be. All he wanted to do was spend as much time as he could with the girl he hadn't been with in so long. What was so wrong with that?

"Tonight," she said with a firmness that told him that he could no longer argue.

He just shook his head, hiding a smile. "Fine, you win."

She kissed him sweetly. "I always do."

"Yes, you do," he said, chuckling.

"Okay," she said, smoothing her clothes down, "I'm gonna go." Lucas sent her a playful pout, but she just rolled her eyes. "I'll see you later, okay?"

He just nodded, watching as she wandered over to his desk to grab her purse. Just as she was about to head out the door, he gently grabbed her wrist to stop her. She turned to look at him with a stern expression, but he just sent her a warm smile.

"I love you, Pretty Girl."

That got a smile out of her. She put a hand on his cheek, her fingers gently grazing the stubble on his chin, and then kissed him softly.

"I love you too, boyfriend."

And then she was gone, but he was left with a content smile on his lips. He was already counting down the hours until he saw her again. This was only the beginning for them. They'd have many more mornings like this. It would soon become a routine in their daily life, but he couldn't find anything more exciting than waking up next to her in the morning and coming home to her at night..

**888**

It felt like Brooke hadn't been home in weeks, even though it had really only been a few days. She and Lucas had been lost in their own little world and it had been the perfect escape from reality. Naturally, she was a little wary to be joining the real world again, especially since so much had changed since she'd last been in it.

She and Lucas were together now and she wouldn't have it any other way, but it was time to tell the rest of the world their news. She knew they'd all be happy, but it would still be strange to actually make it official to everyone else.

Peyton was the first one to greet her as stepped into the house.

"You're home!"

"Yup." Brooke laughed as Peyton jumped off the couch to meet her in the kitchen. "Long time, no see."

Peyton looked at her expectantly. "So?"

Brooke leaned against the counter, shrugging innocently. "So...?"

"Brooke, come on. You know what I mean. What happened with you and Lucas? Are you back together or not?"

"We're together," Brooke said, an automatic smile coming to her lips as she said it. Those words gave her a certain thrill, one she hadn't felt in so long, and she loved it.

Peyton didn't seem at all bothered by the news. Not that Brooke expected her to, but she wouldn't have blamed her if it was a little awkward at first. Instead, though, Peyton threw her arms around her, pulling her into a tight hug.

"I'm so happy for you," Peyton murmured. "You really deserve this. You both do."

"Thank you, Peyton," Brooke said as she pulled away. "That means a lot."

Peyton nodded and they both wandered into the living room. Brooke thought of Lucas' confrontation with Peyton and wondered if she should bring it up. She and Lucas hadn't talked about it since he'd first told her about it and so she didn't have much of an idea of what had gone on.

"So," Brooke said, sitting next to Peyton on the couch, "Lucas told me he went to see you."

"Yeah..." Peyton shifted around uncomfortably. "He was pretty mad."

"I'm sorry about bringing that all up again, Peyton. I just felt like it was time that Lucas knew the real reason I broke up with him. It wouldn't feel right being with him again unless he knew."

"Why are you apologizing?" Peyton asked with a smile. "Lucas deserved to know. It was wrong for me to keep it from him. I should have told him the moment he came to me wondering why you broke up with him. He was so genuinely confused, but I just let him stay that way because I knew that if I told him, he'd go back to you. And that was probably one of the most selfish decisions of my life. So, I should be the one apologizing, Brooke, not you."

Brooke put a hand over Peyton's. "It's okay. It's all in the past and I forgave you a long time ago."

"You know, I really suck as a best friend. I mean, I completely ruined what you and Lucas had and yet you decide to not only forgive me, but to actually root for me and Lucas, even though your heart still belonged to him. I don't know how you did it."

"I don't know either," Brooke admitted. "But don't be too hard on yourself, Peyton. Yeah, sometimes you'vebeen a sucky friend, but so have I. At the end of the day, though, you're always there for me and that's what counts."

"Yeah, but—."

"No more arguing, P. Sawyer," Brooke said with a grin. "It doesn't matter anymore."

Peyton just shook her head before pulling Brooke into another hug. "I seriously don't deserve you, B. Davis."

Brooke laughed. "No one does. I'm just just too amazing for everyone."

"You really are," Peyton said, chuckling.

Another very annoyed voice prevented Brooke from replying. "Okay, enough."

Brooke turned around to see a tired looking Rachel making her way into the kitchen. She sent them an exasperated look at she poured herself a cup of coffee.

"These stupid 7th Heaven moments are really getting annoying. Seriously, it's nauseating."

"We've had like one moment, Rachel," Peyton said with a roll of her eyes.

Brooke interrupted the oncoming spat before Rachel could send a rebuttal. "Rachel, shouldn't you be dressed for work?" She pointed to Rachel's messy bed hair and robe. "We have to leave in like a half hour."

"Yeah, but you're my boss, so I figured I could get some special treatment."Brooke looked at her pointedly, but Rachel just laughed. "I was kidding. I know I'm not getting special treatment, nor do I want any. Just give me like twenty minutes and I'll be ready."

Rachel quickly disappeared back up the stairs. Peyton had an amused smile on her lips and Brooke looked at her curiously.

"Was it me or did Rachel look hungover?" Brooke asked.

"Yeah...I probably shouldn't have let her go out to Tric last night, but I forgot she was starting work today. She came back early this morning drunk out of her mind. I think she was kind of depressed, actually. Apparently she kept throwing herself at Owen and he just wouldn't budge. You can imagine how that made Rachel feel."

"She really shouldn't expect anything from Owen. Well, unless she's _you_, because somehow you can get any guy to sleep with you."

"He _was _drunk, though. I think anyone would sleep with me if they're drunk. Except for Lucas. He just tells me he hates me."

All Brooke could do was laugh at that.

**888**

Lucas was spending his morning trying to distract himself from anything Brooke related. It was hard, considering she was the only thing on his mind, but she had work to do and he didn't want to distract her from it.

He was on his way out of the grocery store now. He decided that he should really restock his kitchen, since he figured Brooke would be staying over quite often and he really didn't have much food around for more than one.

Lucas had just about made it to his car when a voice called out from behind him.

"Hey, Luke."

He turned around to find Jake walking towards him.

"Hey, Jake," Lucas said with a smile. "It's good to see you. I thought you'd left for Savannah already."

"We're leaving in a couple of hours. I've just got to pick up some stuff for the plane ride." He grinned, holding up a bag of candy. "Jenny can get pretty restless without her gummy worms."

Lucas smiled. "So are you gonna be coming back any time soon?"

"Yeah, I should be back next weekend to do some more recording. I'm glad I bumped into you, though, Lucas."

Lucas shot him a curious look. "What's up?"

Jake shifted around nervously. "It's about Peyton."

"Oh."

Lucas shoved his hands into his pockets and tried to keep his face neutral. He had no idea what this conversation was going to hold, but if it was about Peyton, then he wasn't sure it would be good.

"Peyton told me about what happened yesterday morning," Jake explained quickly. "I know this might sound kind of strange to hear, but I kind of feel like what happened...what she did back in high school...well, I feel like I'm partly to blame."

"What do you mean?" Lucas asked in surprise.

"I'm not trying to justify what Peyton did, but there's more to it than you know. I don't know if Peyton ever told you, but the week of Nathan and Haley's wedding, she came to see me in Savannah. We got back together and everything was great." Jake trailed off for a second, looking lost in his own memories, and Lucas waited patiently for him to continue. "She proposed to me, actually, and I think at one point I said yes and for one night, we were in our own little fairy tale...but then she whispered your name in her sleep and I knew her heart was still conflicted, no matter what she said. So I sent her home to sort out her feelings. And then...well, you know what happened. "

Jake finished with an apologetic look on his face, but Lucas was dumbfounded. He was still trying to wrap his head around the fact that Peyton had actually proposed to Jake. Lucas hadn't even been able to get her to say yes to his proposal, yet _she'd_ proposed to Jake. If that didn't prove who she really belonged with, then he didn't know what did.

But then Lucas thought of what else Jake had said and that he thought the mess that had occurred all those years ago was partly his fault.

"I don't blame you, Jake. I'm kind of shocked to hear your own side of the story, but I don't blame you. Not at all. You did what you felt you had to do and I get that. There was no way you could have known that Peyton would come home and announce her feelings to Brooke."

"I know. I just thought you should know there was more to the story."

Lucas nodded slowly. "I had no idea that she went to see you."

"I don't think she really told anyone."

"Wow." Lucas shook his head in disbelief. The surprises just seemed to keep on coming these days. Then he looked at Jake again, a new thought striking him. "I'm sorry, Jake."

Jake looked at him curiously. "For what?"

"I never realized that Peyton and I screwed you over too."

"You didn't," Jake protested.

"We did, though. Along with Brooke and Lindsay and Julian. Until these past few months, I never really realized how Peyton and I always had to break hearts in order to get with each other..."

Jake didn't say anything. His face remained unreadable as his eyes fell down to the ground. Lucas could tell that what had happened still bothered him and he couldn't blame him. Jake had done exactly what Brooke had done and that could only result in a pain that Lucas would never fully understand.

"Losing Peyton must have been really hard," Lucas said, breaking the silence.

"Yeah, it was." Jake glanced back up at him and he could see the sadness in Jake's eyes. "I really thought she was going to come back."

Lucas put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry."

Jake shrugged. "It's okay. One day I just realized she's not gonna come back, so I might as well move on. There's no use waiting for for someone who doesn't want to come back, right?."

"She's back now, though. Maybe she didn't come looking for you, but you found your way back to each other. That's got to mean something."

"Maybe...maybe not. I guess we'll just have to wait and see."

"Yeah..."

They lapsed into silence again until Jake spoke. "Well, I've got to get going."

"I'll see you next week then."

"Looking forward to it," Jake said with a grin before turning to leave.

Lucas watched Jake's retreating form, his mind now a jumble of confusing thoughts. Jake's new piece of information didn't exactly make him feel sorry about the way he'd acted towards Peyton yesterday. In fact, it frustrated him even more; her time in Savannah was just another thing she'd been keeping from him all these years.

But it also put things in perspective for Lucas. He hadn't known until now how broken Peyton had left Jake and he found himself hoping that Jake would find the happiness he deserved. One thing he knew for sure, though, was that there was no way he would ever come between Peyton and her men again. He'd been lucky enough to find his way back to the person he was truly meant to be with and he was sure that, whether it be with Jake or with Julian, Peyton would find her way back too.

**888**

Brooke watched in amusement as Rachel flopped onto the couch, a satisfied smile on the redhead's lips.

"So how'd I do, boss?"

"For your first day, pretty good. But we've still got another hour to go."

Rachel sat up in a hurry. "What? I thought we closed at seven?"

"We do, but we've got to finish inventory before we go home."

"Ugh," Rachel said, groaning as she fell back onto the couch, "this working thing sucks."

Brooke chuckled. "You'll get used to it."

Her eyes fell back down to the money she was counting, but she was distracted a second later at the sound of the front door opening. Lucas sent her a grin as he walked over to her.

"I've spent the whole day away from this store, but I can't take it any longer."

She laughed. "You could have stopped by sooner, you know."

He rounded the counter, smiling as he placed a sweet kiss on her lips. "I know, but I didn't want to be too _clingy_."

"Too late for that..."

Lucas just laughed as Brooke sent Rachel a playful glare. "Shut up, slut."

"I just speak the truth!"

"Rachel, don't you have some work to do?"

"No, I'm off the clock."

"But I told you that we've got to finish inventory."

"You didn't tell me that until _after _I clocked out," Rachel replied with a shrug. "Sorry."

Brooke just shook her head as she focused once more on her boyfriend. "Why did I hire her again?"

"I really have no idea." His hands rested on her hips as he smiled softly down at her. "I missed you today."

She rested her head on his chest. "I missed you too."

"Am I gonna got you all to myself tonight?"

"Of course," she said huskily.

Lucas just grinned enticingly as he craned his neck down to meet his lips with hers.

"Get a room!"

Brooke pulled away from him to glare once again at the amused looking redhead. "I'm gonna kill that whore."

"It's okay...we'll just finish where we left off later tonight."

"And I can't wait. We'll just be a little while longer here if you want to wait around so we can drive back together."

He nodded. "Can I help with anything?"

"Yeah..." She glanced quickly around the room. "Since Rachel has decided that she is done for the day, can you go lock the front door and put the closed sign up?"

"No problem."

She sent him a grateful smile as he walked over to the front door and then focused on the long forgotten money she was supposed to be counting.

"Brooke."

She immediately glanced back up at the sound of Lucas' concerned voice and then her eyes focused on the person who had just opened the door Lucas had been about to lock. Victoria stood in the doorway, her eyes latched on Brooke.

All was silent for a few painful moments. Rachel looked like she was about to push Victoria out, while Lucas immediately made his way over to her, putting a protective arm around her waist. Brooke, however, remained frozen in shock. She hadn't expected to see her mother again for a very long time.

"Brooke..."

The sound of Victoria's voice was enough to pull Brooke out of her reverie.

"Go."

Victoria looked at her with wide eyes and for the first time in her life, Brooke actually saw true remorse in her mother's eyes. For just a second, Brooke felt bad for her, but then Brooke decided she didn't care anymore. It was too late to be sorry. Her mother had made her bed and now she had to lie in it.

"Please, Brooke, I—."

"I said g_o_. I don't ever want to see you again."

And then her mother did something she rarely saw her do— she gave up without not even a bit of a fight. Instead, Victoria gave a curt nod before turning away and walking back outside.

Brooke watched with cold eyes as her mother disappeared. Ever since the attack, she'd learned to grow numb when it came to her mother. If she thought about the pain Victoria brought on in her life, it would only make her feel sorry for herself. But seeing her again brought everything back. It made her feel weak, but she couldn't let Victoria know that. She couldn't let _anyone _know that.

"Are you okay?"

She turned to look at Lucas, nodding slowly. "I'm fine."

He didn't buy it, though, and it was stupid of her to think he would.

"No, you're not."

And then he pulled her into his arms and she just let him hold her as the memories of that night tore through her mind...the man's hands on her neck, his body pinning hers to the ground...

Then her eyes landed on the very spot where it happened and she held back a sob. She'd worked so hard to let that night go and now it was all coming back to her. Lucas' hand ran up and down her back soothingly and finally a tear slid down her cheek. She felt Rachel's hand on her shoulder, but she just dug her head in Lucas' chest, hiding the tears.

She couldn't let Victoria get to her like this. Not after everything she'd done to get back to this point in her life. And if Victoria thought that she had even the slightest chance of weaseling her way back into Brooke's life, she was sorely mistaken because, as far as Brooke was concerned, Victoria no longer existed to her.

* * *

**A/N: **So Victoria's back. You guys didn't think she was gone for good, did you? I couldn't leave her out when she and Brooke haven't gotten any proper closure, so it was about time she returned. It's nice drama too ;D

Thanks so much for reading and please remember to review!


	20. Regret

**Regret**

Lucas settled himself next to Brooke on the couch and handed her a glass of water. She thanked him quietly, taking a long sip before staring blankly ahead of her. It was like they'd traveled back in time a few months. Seeing her mother again seemed to bring back all those painful memories, leaving her broken and lost one again. Lucas could only hope it wouldn't last long. He'd hate to see her live through that pain again.

They were at his house now, even though Lucas had insisted that they go to her house so she could be with Rachel and Peyton. Brooke just wanted to be alone, though, or as alone as she could be with Lucas around. He understood in some ways and he was glad that she wanted to be with him, but he didn't want her to even attempt to pull away from anyone else.

"What are you going to do?"

Finally, she looked at him, her eyes full of uncertainty. "I don't know. I just...I don't think I can see her again."

"That's understandable."

But then she let out an unhappy sigh. "I don't know, though. She just seemed so unhappy."

"She probably is."

Brooke's eyes fell away from him again, focusing on the coffee table in front of them. She didn't say anything else. He put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her body close to him. Her head moved to rest on his shoulder.

"I know she regrets everything," Lucas said, deciding to break the silence that had formed.

"Obviously," Brooke scoffed, her lips twitching into a frown. "But she does have a heart, even though it's frozen over, so even _she_ would regret something like this. It doesn't mean she's a different person now, though, and it doesn't mean everything between us should be all hunky dory. Coming here trying to apologize, to show her remorse...it doesn't change anything, Lucas."

"I know."

"I just don't think I can do it," she said, shaking her head tiredly. "I don't think I can forgive her. Not yet, anyway."

"And you don't have to."

That seemed to settle that. She nodded and relaxed against him as she moved her hand to rest on his thigh. He covered her hand with his own, giving it a soft, reassuring squeeze.

He didn't want to push Brooke into doing something she wasn't ready for. He could sympathize with her in some ways because Dan really wasn't much worse than Victoria when it came to parenting, although as far as Lucas was concerned, no one could measure up to the horror that is Dan Scott. He doubted Victoria would ever commit an act of murder on her own brother or sister, if she had one of those anyway.

He kissed the top of her head. "Everything's gonna be okay."

She tipped her head up to look at him and nodded. "I know."

His lips brushed gently against hers. He was glad when she sent him a small smile as she rested her head back on his shoulder.

"Are you sure you don't want to go home tonight?"

At a time like this, Brooke needed more than just him. She needed all of her friends and he didn't want to pull her away from them just because he loved having her all to himself.

Brooke didn't have time to answer before the door bell rang and he rose to answer it.

"Peyton," he said in surprise.

"Hey, Luke," Peyton said, standing uncertainly in front of him. "Brooke's here, right?"

"Yeah. I'm glad you're here actually. Come in."

Peyton smiled lightly as she brushed past him and met Brooke in the living room. Lucas watched them from the doorway and focused specifically on Peyton as she comforted Brooke. The anger that he'd felt towards her the past few days had died down considerably, especially after Victoria's return. Was he still a bit resentful towards her and the damage she'd done to him and Brooke? Yes, but he wasn't going to let something that had occurred over five years ago ruin their friendship.

Now wasn't the time for him to dwell on this, though. Tonight he and Peyton would put aside their differences and simply be there for the girl they loved.

And tomorrow they would deal with their own issues.

**888**

Peyton set her phone onto her desk, a small smile on her lips. She'd just listened to a message from Julian that had told her he was going to be back in town next week. Of course this would complicate things about tenfold, but it was inevitable that she'd have to face both Jake and Julian at one time again.

Having just one of them around was mostly easy. She could forget about the other for a majority of the time and just focus on the one she was with. But with both of them in town next week, it would be tough. She felt like she was messing with both of their hearts even if she didn't mean to. It was one thing to be on one side of a love triangle, but to be in the middle was something totally different and she didn't like it. Not one bit.

There was a light knock on the door and Peyton was surprised to see Lucas standing there looking back at her. He didn't seem to be angry, which was a good sign. He was smiling, too, although it seemed a little forced, but she could deal with that.

"Oh." She tried her best to put on a strong front, but the truth was that any sight of Lucas during the last few days made her want to crumble in her guilt. All it took was a simple look from him to get her feeling like she was the worst person on the face of the planet. She cleared her throat. "Hey, Lucas."

His smile softened. "Do you have a minute?"

"Sure."

He took a seat on the couch and silence took over. She thought of last night at his house. They hadn't really talked. They'd both spent their time with Brooke, talking about her beast of a mother, and, like Peyton had, Lucas focused mostly on Brooke, but he'd been cordial any time their paths did cross. Overall, though, Peyton had been able to ignore the guilt that Lucas brought in order to be there for Brooke, which was good because Peyton hadn't wanted last night to be about her in any sort of way and she had a feeling Lucas felt the same.

"Look, I just wanted to apologize for the other day and the way I handled things."

She almost laughed at the fact that he was seriously apologizing to her. Why did it seem like people always felt the need to say they were sorry for something that they had every right to be anything but sorry for? She'd never understand it.

"Don't apologize, Lucas. Honestly, I deserved it. I deserved much worse, actually, but you're too nice for your own good. You probably get that from Brooke."

"I know," he said, smiling lightly. "I guess I just needed to be angry for a little while, though. It's like I was whipped back to the past and had to experience everything again from a different point of view and it hurt. It really did. I really wish I'd known then what I knew now."

"You did have a right to be angry," Peyton said, "and it was wrong for me to keep it from you. And it's also wrong for you to not get some sort of explanation about why I never told you about that night."

His eyes focused on her hopefully as she garnered his full attention. She'd told him a few days ago that she didn't know why she hadn't told him the truth about that night, but that was a lie and they both knew it. Now, though, she would give him the truth because the truth was what he deserved.

"I didn't tell you because I was selfish. Plain and simple. I knew that if I told you, there was no way I'd ever get you."

"You don't know that," he countered.

But he was wrong and they both knew it.

"If I'd been honest and told you what had happened, do you really think you would have kept hanging around me? No, you would have gone back to Brooke because that was where your heart belonged. I didn't tell you for a reason and that reason was because I was selfish and wanted you all to myself. By not telling you about that night, I was just pulling you closer and closer towards me and farther away from Brooke. That was why I didn't tell you, Lucas. Because I was selfish and wanted you to myself."

Lucas leaned forward in his seat as his gaze fell to the ground. She left him to his thoughts. She was sure he'd already guessed why she hadn't told him. It wasn't exactly hard to put together. She was selfish and that was all there was to it. It was wrong and she regretted it more than anything, but it was the truth.

When he spoke again, though, he took her by surprise. "Why didn't you ever tell me you went to see Jake that weekend?"

"How do you know about that?" she asked, thoroughly confused. She'd never told anyone about that weekend.

"I talked to Jake yesterday and he told me."

"Oh..."

He was looking at her expectantly, waiting for some sort of explanation. Truthfully, she wasn't fully sure why she'd neglected to tell anyone about that weekend, but now that she thought about it, she was pretty certain that it was because it would have proved that her feelings for Lucas weren't as strong as she made them out to be.

"You proposed to him," he said and she was surprised to see the teasing smirk on his lips, like he actually thought this was funny. She didn't see any humor in this, though.

"Luke..."

"You wanted to marry him so much that you were willing to do the proposing," he continued, "but you couldn't bring yourself to say yes to mine."

"Yeah, um..." She rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "I don't really know what to say to that."

"I think that's just more proof that you and I aren't meant to be."

She finally let out a smile at that. "You're probably right there. I'm sorry for not telling you that, though. I think I felt like my time with Jake would have demeaned what you and I had and I didn't want to bring us down, you know?"

He turned serious again. "You always liked to make it seem like you were alone while we were apart, suffering in silence as you waited for me to come back to you. But that's really not the truth, is it?"

There he was again, making her feel horrible about herself. But he was right. Her weekend with Jake had been a fairy tale, but she'd never told anyone about it because they were all supposed to think Lucas was the only guy for her. And then Brooke was the only one to know about her relationship with Julian because, just like before, she had everyone thinking that she'd only ever been in love with Lucas.

"You were never really alone," he continued. "I was just the guy you came to when the other guy didn't work out."

"Well, actually they always seemed to be sending me back to you, which isn't much better..."

He chuckled softly and she was surprised that he wasn't angry with her again. He did have a right to be, after all.

"I really am sorry, Luke. For everything. If I could go back and change it, I would."

"But you can't," he said, looking right at her. "And that's okay because everything has worked out. The people who were meant to be found their way back to each other."

"Yeah," she said, thinking automatically of Jake and Julian and who she was meant to find her way back to.

A knowing smile covered Lucas lips as she looked back at him.

"Everything will work out with you, you know that, right?"

"Yeah, of course. I just _hate _being in this position."

He grinned. "I can definitely understand that."

"I don't know how you did it, Luke," she said, shaking her head, "I really don't."

"It's not fun, but eventually things work out the way they're meant to. I'll let you in on something I've learned, though— you can't rush things. You may feel like you absolutely have to make a choice, but don't give into that because I guarantee you that whatever choice you make will be the wrong one. You've got to let things fall into place on their own, and, trust me, things _will _fall into place, even if at times it doesn't seem that way. You've just got to be patient."

"Is that how you knew for sure it was Brooke you were really meant to be with?"

"Yeah, it is. When you find the one you're meant to be with, you'll just know. It's hard to describe, but you've just got to trust me. That doesn't mean you get that feeling the moment you meet that person. It could take years to get to that point. But you'll know when it happens."

"When did it happen with Brooke?" she asked, genuinely curious.

"Honestly, it wasn't something that just hit me at a specific moment. It wasn't a huge epiphany or a moment of clarity; it was just something that formed over time and after awhile, I just knew. It took me a little while to actually accept it, but when I did, that was it. I'd knew I'd finally found my way back to the person I was meant to be with."

She just nodded, glad to have his advice. It was funny that he'd become such an expert at love after everything he'd put them though, but he did seem to have a point.

He stood up and walked over to the desk. "Everything will be fine," he said, reiterating his earlier words.

And somehow she knew he was right. Maybe it would take some time before she knew who it was that she was meant to be with, but she would know someday— someday soon— and until then, she wouldn't rush anything. She would be as good a friend as she could to both guys and then let whatever happened happen.

"Thanks for the advice."

"No problem." He turned around and she watched him walk towards the door.

"So we're good, Luke?"

It was already clear that he'd forgiven her, but she needed a confirmation right from his mouth.

"Yeah," he said, looking at her again. "We're good."

**888**

There were so many thoughts running through Brooke's mind, all going different directions, and she was left wondering if she was doing the right thing. She was sitting in her parked car, staring at the tall and elegant building in front of her, and she was scared. More scared than she would ever admit. But there was just something telling her that she needed to do this. She needed to see Victoria.

She'd told Lucas that she didn't think she could see her mother again. She'd told everyone, including her mother, that. But there was still such a huge part of her that felt that urge to talk to her mother, to find out Victoria's point of view on this mess and to see if she truly was sorry.

On one hand, Brooke hated leaving things unfinished, especially on a bad note. On the other, she hated thinking about that night and what it did to her. Most of all, she hated that her mother was behind it. She'd never understand why Victoria did what she did, but maybe she could at least try to let her explain. It didn't mean Brooke needed to forgive her, but at least it could give her and Victoria some closure.

That was what Brooke had told herself when she'd made the decision to go see her. Now, though, she wondered if she was making the right choice.

She didn't have to get out of this car and she most definitely didn't have to walk into that hotel and go knock on her door. She could turn the car on and speed away before anyone knew what she'd been thinking of doing.

But she had to do this, if only because she would regret it someday if she didn't.

So she finally opened the car door, taking a step out into the cold air. And then she walked stiffly into the hotel where she knew her mother would be. Victoria always stayed here when she came to Tree Hill. And then she took another step and asked the hotel clerk for her mother's room and soon, she was standing in front of room 609.

She could still back out. But she didn't. She'd gone too far now.

So she slowly raised her fist and knocked.

After a few painful moments of waiting, the door crept open. Victoria's face shone with shock as she set eyes on her daughter, but within a couple seconds, the shock transformed into both confusion and guilt.

"Brooke," Victoria said, her voice uncharacteristically soft. Brooke didn't respond and for a brief moment, everything was silent as Victoria scrambled to find something to say. "I...I didn't expect to see you here."

Still, Brooke said nothing. She was trying hard to keep her face unreadable, but it proved a hard task. Her lips twitched into an automatic scowl as she fought back the anger simply seeing her mother brought. There was no longer the fear of the memories of that night. Now she was just angry.

Victoria took a deep breath, obviously bothered by Brooke's cold silence. "Do you want to come in?"

"No." She spoke harshly, but she was past caring. Victoria deserved punishment for what she'd done to her and Brooke had a feeling that there was not a worse punishment than losing her own daughter. "What I want is to know why you bothered to come here."

"I wanted to see you," Victoria simply said. "To see if there was anyway you could forgive me for what I let happen to you."

Brooke had dealt with her mother enough to know when she was lying and when she was telling the truth, so it was clear that Victoria was not trying to weasel her way back into Brooke's good graces. She was truly sorry for what she'd done. But it didn't really do much to change Brooke's opinion of her horrible excuse of a mother.

"But I never meant for them to attack you, Brooke," Victoria continued.

Brooke shook her head in disbelief. "You don't even understand, do you? It's not the attack that hurt the most, it's the fact that you were willing to go through all that trouble just to bring me down. It's the fact that you, my own mother, cares more about a company than her daughter. You wanted to see me fail, Victoria, and you were happy to bring on that failure yourself. I don't think I can ever forgive you for that."

"You're right," Victoria said, her voice shaking. "I was wrong, Brooke. What I did was selfish and I've regretted it every day since it happened. That's why I gave you back the designs. I couldn't bear to keep them."

Victoria really wasn't helping her case. In fact, her words just angered Brooke more.

"Well, aren't you a hero? You felt so guilty about the attack that you decided to give me back the designs that you had _stolen _from me. Did you think that that would do something for you? That I'd come find you and tell you that it's okay, as long as I have the designs, we're all good. Well guess what? We're _not _good. We never will be because of the selfish decision you made. Whatever shot we had at actually having some sort of civil relationship is gone now. So there you go, Victoria. You've not only lost a company, but you've lost a daughter as well. I hope it was worth it."

"Brooke. Please."

There were tears in Victoria's eyes, a sight that Brooke had never expected to see in her lifetime, but she couldn't find herself to be moved by them. Not now.

So she turned on her heel, unable to look Victoria in the face any longer, and, with a deep breath, walked away. She didn't hear Victoria call after her, which, even though it wouldn't change anything, led to another wave of disappointment. Of course Victoria wouldn't fight for her. The only thing she fought for was money. Everything else was disposable. Even her own daughter.

A few tears had made their way down her cheek as she made it back outside. She pushed them back furiously, not wanting to shed one more tear over her mother. She was done with Victoria. Maybe, just maybe, someday she would find the strength to forgive Victoria, but now was not that time. Not when the scars from that night were still so fresh. She just wasn't ready.

She didn't know if she'd _ever _be ready.

**888**

A knock pulled Lucas from his drowsy state and he lifted his head up from his pillow to look over at his door. He could see her small silhouette through the door and it was immediately obvious who was behind it. He heaved himself off the bed to greet her.

"Hey, Pretty Girl."

The look on Brooke's face immediately told him that something was wrong. There was a frown on her lips and her eyes were red, as if she'd been crying. He took her by the hand, leading her inside, and she fell right onto the bed. She stared up at the ceiling, the frown still on her face. He was already sure what was bothering her, but he waited for her to speak.

"I went to see her."

Somehow he knew she would. Brooke might have made it seem like she never wanted to lay an eye on Victoria again, but she wasn't the type of person that liked to leave things unfinished.

He laid down next to her and rested on his side. His hand fell to rest on her stomach and then her hand clasped onto his.

"What happened?"

"I couldn't do it, Luke. I couldn't forgive her."

"That's okay. You didn't have to."

"I know." A sad sigh escaped her lips. "She just doesn't understand...I don't know if she ever will."

She moved onto her side and dug her head into his chest. There were no tears, though; just the feel of her warm, steady breathes through his thin shirt. He wrapped his arms around her and softly kissed the top of her head. It was the only way he could find to comfort her.

"I don't want to talk about her anymore," she mumbled after a few minutes of silence. He reluctantly released her as she sat back up. There was a new look of determination in her eyes and it was a refreshing sight to see after the events of the night before. "I just want to forget about her. For now, at least."

"Okay," he said, sitting up. "How about we go out then? I think it's about time that we go on our first date in almost six years, don't you?"

"That does sound nice." She sent him a grin as she laced her fingers through his. "But I want to do something first. And no, not _that_," she added, seeing the way his face lit up hopefully. "Not until later, anyway."

She jumped from the bed and made her way over to the door. He watched curiously as she pulled something from her purse and then sat back down next to him and held it out for him.

"Letter 84."

"There's more?" he asked in surprise.

She nodded. "There's eighty-six in all."

He reached for the letter eagerly, curious to know when she'd written it. He had no clue she'd continued writing him over the years, but it was just more proof that she'd never really given up on him.

"It's not exactly the happiest letter," she explained as he carefully opened the envelop, "but there's some hope in there, I think. I just thought that you deserved to read the rest of them. I actually was planning on giving it to you last night, but then Victoria happened..."

He put a hand on her knee, wordless conveying that he understood. Then his eyes fell down to the paper...

_Lucas,_

_It feels strange to be writing to you again. It's been awhile since I last did and so much has changed since then. You're with Peyton now and I'm with Chase. We graduated two weeks ago. It's kind of crazy... I always thought I'd end out the year with you._

_But it's okay. It's just on days like today that I remember how we started out the school year and it's hard to really understand how nothing turned out how I thought it would. How you were so in love with me in September, but now, in June, it's Peyton you love. Sometimes I wonder if it's really possible to move on so quickly, but then again, I stopped questioning love a long time ago. It's no use really._

_I don't know why I'm even bringing that up now. I'm over it. Or so I tell everyone. I'm trying, I really am, but it's so hard to let go of the only guy I've ever loved. I know I told you that I thought I loved Chase, but that was a lie. I don't. I never will. He's just not the guy for me. And I feel horrible because he truly is a great guy, but there's just one problem and it's kind of huge. He's not you. I'm going to break up with him soon, though. It's not fair to lead him on like this. _

_I hope that someday I'll be able to find another guy that I can really give myself to. Sometimes I don't think it's possible, but I'm sure that over the years my heart will mend just enough to let someone else in. But I also think a part of me will always hope that we'll find our way back to each other again. It's a small hope, but I can't help it. But I feel bad about it because now you're with my best friend, the girl you've been crushing on for years. You and Peyton are happy and that's great. That's all I want for the boy I love and the girl I love. Sometimes it's hard to stand by and pretend that I'm happy too, but it'll get easier with time. I hope so at least._

_I said that it was strange to write to you again, but it also feels right. I think today of all days— the day Peyton and I leave to start our new lives in LA, the day we both leave you behind here in our crazy town— is the perfect time to do this. It's a day of new beginnings. A fresh start. And maybe it can be the day I finally start to move on. _

_We'll see..._

_But you know, all that wasn't really what I planned on telling you when I started writing this letter. What I really just wanted you to know is that I still love you, Lucas Scott. I always will. And I guess I wrote this as a goodbye too. A temporary goodbye, I hope, but a goodbye nonetheless. _

_So see you later, Luke. Go out there and change the world. You've already changed mine. _

_Brooke_

After all these years, it was odd to go back in time and remember their lives as eighteen years olds fresh out of high school. It was also odd to think about it now in Brooke's point of view— a view he'd never quite been able to grasp, but now was finally getting the chance to really understand. These letters were proof that Brooke was letting him all the way in. She wasn't holding anything back and she was finally allowing him to know the real story. The real her.

The letter dropped into Lucas' lap as his eyes landed on Brooke. She looked a little guilty, although he had no idea why. He reached for her hand, stringing his fingers through hers, and then used his free arm to pull her closer to him.

"Thank you for letting me read this."

She nodded. "I thought it would help you understand me better. I put up a wall after I broke up with you and because of that I only allowed people to see what I wanted them to see. Even you. But these letters explain what I didn't want people to see..that I really wasn't okay with everything."

"You put everyone else above yourself, Brooke. I've always known that, but this letter and the one before it just reinforce that. But you don't need to do it anymore." His hand moved up to her face, cupping her cheek, and his eyes bore intensely into hers. "You don't need to put up that wall."

He was the reason she put up that wall in the first place and he never wanted her to do it again. He just wanted her to be happy— to _really _be happy, not just pretend for the sake of others— and he wanted to be able to be the one to bring her that happiness.

And he was. Finally. And he was never going to let her go again.

"I know, Luke."

A small smile covered her lips and he could tell that she really did know. She knew that he wasn't going to give her a reason to put that wall up again, that he was never going to let her go. There was no stopping what they'd started. They both knew that now.

* * *

**A/N: **I feel like it's been forever since I updated, even though it's really only been a little over a week, but I guess that's forever for me. So I'm sorry for the wait! I was out of town earlier last week and when I came back, I got into these new books and I couldn't stop reading...so yeah, I've been neglecting writing. But the wait won't be so long next time, I promise.

I hope the last section of the chapter with the letter didn't seem out of place. I really wanted to include the 86 letters in here since we'll never get any sort of explanation about those extra four letters in the show. I didn't originally intend on including it in this chapter, but I decided to go for it because it felt right to me, but I also realized that it might not fit entirely with this chapter...but I hope it did!

So anyway. I'm sorry if there's a ton of grammatical mistakes. I'm posting this chapter on the run and didn't have a lot of time to look it over!

Also, thanks to everyone who's been reviewing. I've been absolutely horrible at responding to them lately, but I'm going to try my hardest to get back to you all this chapter!


	21. Family

**Family**

Taking a seat on the counter stool, Brooke watched Haley zoom around the kitchen, preparing what looked to be a very delicious meal. Brooke would have offered to help, but even though she'd managed to gain a few cooking skills over the years, she really wouldn't have been very useful. A few weeks ago, Haley had decided that it had been too long since their group of friends had gotten together and just hung out so she'd organized a little get together at her and Nathan's house. It was a perfect escape for Brooke, who for the past week had been mulling over the return of Victoria. Brooke assumed that Victoria had returned to New York by now, but the talk they'd had when she was in Tree Hill didn't offer much peace to her.

Her life was back to normal, though. She and Lucas were enjoying the perks of being a couple again and it was something that she was still getting used to, but couldn't get enough of. She was also adjusting to life with Rachel again, which was interesting to say the least. Rachel was still her wild self, although she had toned it down a notch over the years, something that Brooke was grateful for. She'd long ago given up her partying lifestyle, and it seemed Rachel was slowly finding her way out of it too.

Next to Brooke, Peyton took a seat. She didn't look very happy. This didn't surprise Brooke, though, because tonight would take an interesting turn in the Peyton love triangle saga. Jake was in town for the weekend to record and he'd been invited to Nathan and Haley's tonight. Julian, who was now back in town for the movie, was supposed to be coming over as well. Peyton hadn't seen Julian for a few weeks, so naturally she was a little worried about his return, but Brooke knew she was more anxious about the fact that she, Jake, and Julian would inevitably be thrown all together tonight.

"You alright, P. Sawyer?" Brooke asked.

"Yeah," Peyton replied, turning to Brooke with a forced smile, "I'm fine."

"Are you sure? Because I wouldn't exactly blame you if you weren't. It must be kind of awkward to know that Julian and Jake are both going to be here tonight."

Peyton just shrugged. "I'll be fine."

"I, for one, cannot wait to meet this Julian everyone's been talking about. I hope he's hot."

Brooke turned to find Rachel had entered the kitchen. The redhead smirked over at Peyton, but it was hard for Brooke to tell if she was teasing or not. Peyton wasn't amused, but luckily she just ignored her, something she'd learned to do when Rachel was in her taunting mood. Brooke was thankful that Peyton and Rachel seemed to have put their differences aside to try to get along, but they still had their arguments almost daily. Brooke had a feeling, though, that their fights were just a part of their so called friendship. It was kind of amusing, actually.

Thankfully, Haley saw fit to change the topic. She didn't, however, change it to a topic that Brooke actually wanted to think about, let alone talk about.

"So, Brooke, your mom still hasn't tried to get a hold of you again, has she?"

"No. I think she's back in New York."

"She knows what's best for her, then," Rachel said. "She goes to hide in the big city where she knows it'll be a billion times harder for me to go find her and kick her scrawny whorish ass."

Brooke laughed. Rachel had been particularly spiteful of Victoria lately, not that Brooke minded. It was nice to know that she had Rachel behind her all the way. But Brooke was glad when Haley didn't push the subject any further. The last thing she wanted to think about on a happy day like this was Victoria.

A few minutes later, Nathan appeared in the kitchen. He made his way over to the counter, jumping up to sit on it, and then sent Peyton a teasing grin.

"Guess who's here?"

Peyton's eyes widened nervously. Brooke wasn't sure whether it was Jake or Julian, but she couldn't help but find it a little funny at how much Peyton was freaking out over this. It really wasn't the end of the world. Still, Brooke did have some sympathy for her, not that she'd ever been put in this type of situation, nor did she have any desire to. But she felt for Peyton. She knew that Peyton was simply worried about hurting both of them and that couldn't be an easy thing.

"Hmm, let's see," Rachel said and then she nudged Peyton playfully. "I'm guessing his name starts with a J, but that doesn't really narrow the list down...I'm gonna guess Julian?"

Nathan chuckled. "No, actually it's Jake. But Lucas did just talk to Julian on the phone and he's just leaving the airport. He should be here in about a half hour."

"Great," Peyton mumbled.

"Great!" Rachel grinned.

Brooke shook her head in amusement. Rachel really was finding way too much pleasure in taunting Peyton over this. Peyton glared at Rachel before standing up and heading into the living room to greet Jake and Jenny.

"Don't go overboard with this, Rachel," Brooke said as soon as Peyton was gone. "I want you on your best behavior tonight."

"I'll see what I can do." Rachel grinned as she popped a grape into her mouth. "But you know that I can't make any promises."

And then she was gone, probably to go see Jake and tease Peyton once again, and Brooke knew that Rachel wasn't going to go easy on Peyton tonight.

A second later, a distraction came in the form of her godson. Jamie darted into the room and Brooke immediately pulled him up in her arms.

"Aunt Brooke," he giggled as she playfully tickled him. "Let me down."

"Mmm, I don't think so. In fact, I think you owe me a kiss, J. Luke."

Jamie scrunched up his face, but didn't protest when Brooke swooped her head down to kiss his cheek. Jamie just laughed before jumping down and running out of the room once again.

"My son is such a ladies man," Nathan said, looking proud.

Haley just rolled his eyes before swatting him off of the counter and pushing him out of the kitchen. Brooke and Haley were alone now and Brooke could only assume that Haley would use this to her advantage. All day long, it seemed like Haley had been holding something back. But when Haley spoke, it was not about Victoria or anything equally unpleasant.

"So, how are things with Lucas?" Haley asked with a grin.

"Great," Brooke said, holding back a smile at the mention of her boyfriend. She suddenly had the urge to go find him. He was probably in the living room with the others. She was already missing him, even though she'd spent most of the day with him. She'd even come here with him.

"Look at you," Haley said, laughing. "You're totally lovesick."

"I am not."

"Yeah you are. Don't deny it."

Okay, maybe she was, but there was nothing wrong with that, right? It had been so long since she and Lucas had last been together and everything was so new and fresh again and she couldn't help but bask in the wonders of their reawakened relationship. They'd only been back together for a little over a week anyway. In her mind, they were still in the honeymoon phase of the relationship.

"Okay, maybe I am just a little lovesick..."

Haley chuckled. "Not just a _little_... But it's okay. It's cute, actually. The last time you acted this way was pretty much the last time you and Lucas were together."

"That's because he's the only one who makes me feel this way."

"I think that's clear to just about everyone," Haley replied. She leaned against the counter and sent Brooke an encouraging smile. "We're all really happy for you both, Brooke. I don't think I've told you that yet, but we are. Nathan and I both agree that you're the girl for Lucas. He's just not the same without you. And Jamie...well, let's just say he's all aboard the Brucas bandwagon. He pretty much jumped for joy when we told him that you and Lucas were together."

Brooke laughed at the thought of Jamie's sign of approval for their relationship. She was glad that he was happy about them, though. She'd known for awhile that he wanted his godparents to get together. He'd been very sly about it, but after awhile it was very obvious to Brooke where Jamie was siding when it came to her relationships.

And she was glad that Nathan and Haley approved too. Not that she'd thought they wouldn't, but it was still nice to here that they thought this was right. Because it really was right. She and Lucas were meant to be together. Everything had finally fallen into place.

"I'm just so happy that _you're _happy," Haley continued. "You deserve it, Brooke."

Brooke just smiled. "Thanks, Haley. That means so much...it really does."

**888**

Peyton was more than grateful that Rachel had finally decided to leave Jake alone. She hadn't gotten in more than a hug before Rachel came swooping in to distract him for a good fifteen minutes. Jake had just sent Peyton an amused smile before politely focusing on Rachel.

Now Jake was sitting by the pool, dangling his feet in the water as he watched Jenny swim around with Jamie. Peyton pushed off her flip flops and dunked her own feet in as she sat next to Jake.

"Aw, look at the cute little couple." Peyton nudged Jake, sending him a teasing smile. He chuckled as he glanced over at Jamie, who was pushing Jenny around on a floaty.

"You know, I'm really not looking forward to when she's actually gonna be interested in boys." He grimaced at the thought while Peyton just laughed.

"If she finds a guy even remotely like you, I wouldn't be too worried."

Jake, however, looked horrified. "I knocked a girl up at sixteen."

"That's true, but, well..." Peyton crossed her arms thoughtfully and then gave up. "Okay, yeah, that's not so good. But I'm sure Jamie will be a perfect gentleman when he's older."

"Jamie, huh? You've already decided who's she gonna end up with?"

"Well, yeah. Look at them. They're adorable together. Plus, you can't go wrong with Jamie. He's pretty much the coolest kid around. Although he is the son of Nathan Scott, but I'm sure he won't take after Nathan's pre-Haley days, so we don't have to worry."

"If you're sure," Jake said, chuckling. "Do you think we should go to Nathan and Haley and start discussing an arranged marriage?"

Peyton sent him a grin. "Might be worth looking into."

They shared another laugh before settling into silence. Peyton was glad to have Jake back in town. Life without him was weird, which in itself was weird too, considering she'd gone over five years without him. But now that he was back, she didn't know how she'd gone so long without him. One thing she did know, though, was that she couldn't let him go this time. Now that he was back in her life, there was no getting out. He was stuck, whether he liked it or not. But judging by the way he was looking at her right now, as if she was the only girl on world, she didn't think he minded.

Her eyes locked onto his and she couldn't look away. She was losing herself in him, something that had happened once before since his return— that night at Tric, when they'd kissed and then he'd sang their song. That had been one of those moments that just felt so completely right that there was no way it could possibly be wrong. And this was another one of those moments.

All she wanted to do was kiss him, even here in Nathan and Haley's backyard, where anyone, including both Jenny and Jamie, who were only a few feet away, could see them. But she didn't care. She didn't care about anyone else, not Julian, not Rachel, not the Jenny or Jamie. This was just too good a moment to give up.

Jake seemed to feel the same way. He leaned forward, closing the distance between them, and his hand covered hers, pulling her in as his lips came closer and closer...

And then the moment was lost.

Jake jerked back just as Rachel's obnoxious voice came pouring outside, followed by the actual appearance of the redhead.

"Your other boy's here," Rachel said, "and my God, is he gorgeous"

Then Rachel was gone again and it was in that moment that Peyton really hated Rachel Gatina. Not only had she ruined a perfectly good moment between her and Jake, but she'd brought them both back to the harsh truth of the real world— there was another guy, one who sometimes made her feel just as good as Jake made her feel. And if she'd kissed Jake then it wouldn't have been fair to either of them.

So maybe she didn't hate Rachel. Because, really, Rachel had only spoken the truth. She just hated the fact that she was risking breaking the hearts of two great guys and, in that aspect, she really hated herself.

"You should go," Jake said, motioning inside where Julian was sure to be. He wasn't looking at her anymore, but she could see the pain in his eyes and she knew it was too late— she was already hurting him.

"Yeah." She stood up, pausing before she turned to leave. "I'm sorry, Jake."

He didn't say anything; his head just bobbed into a nod. And then she left him and she felt the worst that she had since that same night she and Jake had kissed, when they both ran into Julian at her house. But this was her reality. She'd gotten them all into this mess and she would get them out of it.

By the time she reached Julian, Rachel was already there. Not that Peyton was surprised. She'd fully expected for Rachel to jump on him any chance she got. At this point, Peyton was fully aware that Rachel was doing all this to annoy her, rather than having genuine interest in either of them. Although Peyton was sure that Rachel would gladly have her way with either of them if she could. She wouldn't, though. Not unless Peyton gave her the okay. She might have liked to tease Peyton by flirting with the two boys, but she wouldn't do anything more than that. Brooke would kill her if she did.

Peyton watched from the sidelines as Rachel's hand grazed Julian's arm as she openly admired his body. While Julian seemed a little taken back at first, his lips twitched into his charming grin as he took Rachel in. Julian didn't even appear to notice Peyton.

"So," Rachel asked as her eyes flickered back to Peyton and then back on him, "what's your take on models?"

Peyton crossed her arms in annoyance as Julian flirted right back.

"Oh, I love them. Especially redheads."

And that was enough. Peyton cleared her throat. "Hey, Julian."

Julian tore his eyes away from Rachel, his gaze landing on Peyton. His eyes seemed to light up at the sight of her and it was obvious that his playful flirting with Rachel was just for fun. His attraction to Peyton, however, was still there. Stronger than ever, it seemed, which Peyton wasn't sure was a good thing or a bad thing.

Rachel took a step back, allowing Julian to move over to her.

"How are you?" he asked, and he seemed slightly nervous.

"Great. What about you?"

Something came over him when she asked him this; his grin faded and a small frown took over.

"I'm okay."

She could tell he was lying. Something was up, but he didn't want her to know.

"Are you sure?"

Then the grin was back. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. It's great to see you again, though. I missed you."

Peyton knew he really wasn't fine, but she wasn't going to push it. Not now, at least.

"I missed you too."

He pulled her into a hug and she smiled, glad to be back in his arms again. She felt the same about Julian as she did with Jake when it came to not having him in her life. Julian had become such a great friend to her since he'd come to Tree Hill and not having him around just didn't feel right.

When he pulled away, he smiled softly down at her and she felt the guilt she'd been trying to suppress rise again. Jake was here. Julian was here. She had feelings for both of them. And soon they would all be together. This wasn't good. This wasn't good at all.

**888**

Lucas lounged on the couch, his feet resting up on the coffee table in front of him. He'd been sitting here for awhile, mostly observing his friends and family, something he always found to be very interesting. Especially when Rachel was involved. She was most definitely a very interesting person. Like the way she seemed to thrive off annoying Peyton. It was kind of amusing, although he felt that it shouldn't be so funny since Peyton was one of his best friends. But Peyton didn't seem to take her seriously, which was probably good.

He was happy when Brooke dropped down next to him. He kissed her forehead as she nestled her head onto his shoulder. His arm wrapped around her and her hands grabbed for his.

"Why are you brooding, Broody?" she asked as she tilted her head up to grin at him.

"I'm not brooding."

"Oh, right. That squinty look you've got going on is just natural."

"It is," he said, shrugging.

"I know it is. I'm not denying that."

He chuckled before leaning down to kiss her. "Are you having fun?"

"Yeah, I am. This whole thing is really nice. I feel like all of us haven't all been together like this for so long."

"That's because we haven't. With Jake back, this feels like a high school reunion."

"It kind of does," she said. Her eyes fell on Peyton and Julian, who were quietly talking by the stairs. "I wonder what's going to happen with Peyton now that Julian's back again."

"I don't know. It'll be interesting to find out, though."

"I'm personally rooting for Jake right now, but looking at Peyton and Julian, that might change."

Lucas just laughed. "You probably shouldn't root for anyone, Brooke. You don't want to end up disappointed."

"I know," she admitted. "I guess I really just want Peyton to be happy. It doesn't matter who she's with as long as she's happy. Well, actually, I should really say it doesn't matter who she's with as long as it's not you."

"I don't think you have to worry about that," he said, chuckling.

"Good, because I'm not ever planning on letting you go again, not even for Peyton."

"You have no idea how happy I am to hear that."

He smiled softly down at her, their eyes locking, and gently kissed her lips.

"Aw, how precious."

Lucas pulled away from Brooke to glare at his brother, who'd just taken a seat across from them. Brooke just laughed as she nuzzled her face into Lucas' neck.

"What?" Nathan said, sending Lucas a teasing grin. "You two are just so darn adorable."

"Thanks, Nate. I always love being called adorable."

Nathan was about to retort when Julian walked up to them.

"Hey, guys."

"Hey, Julian," Lucas said. "It's good to have you back."

Julian nodded, sending them all warm smiles, but Lucas could almost immediately sense that something was up.

"Are you still up for meeting for coffee tomorrow?" Julian asked.

"Yeah."

"Good, because there's a lot we need to talk about."

There was something in the way Julian was speaking that told Lucas that something was definitely wrong with the movie. He was suddenly very anxious to know what was going on.

"Do you want to talk now?"

"Tomorrow," Julian said firmly. "We should do it in private."

"Okay," Lucas murmured.

Julian just nodded before excusing himself. Brooke was looking at Lucas anxiously.

"Was it just me or did something seem off?"

"No, it wasn't just you," Lucas replied. "I think something's going on with the movie."

"Yeah," Brooke agreed. "I guess you'll find out tomorrow."

He nodded slowly. The worst case scenario was that the movie was being scrapped, which for some reason didn't bother Lucas as much as it should. Not having his book being made into a movie wasn't the end of the world. Yes, he'd be losing money— a _lot _of money— but he already had plenty enough as it was. His book sales brought in enough income to last for years to come. So he wasn't going to worry, whatever the problem may be. After all, tonight was not a night for worrying; it was a time to spend with his friends and family, to focus on the people who mattered most in his life.

He smiled as he kissed the top of Brooke's head. Tonight was going to be good.

**888**

It was a little strange to see Jake and Julian talking together, Peyton decided. Actually it was more than strange. But they seemed to be getting a long, which was really good. It probably wouldn't have been such a good thing if the two of them hated each other. That would have just made things ten times more complicated.

After a few minutes of idle chat, the two of them parted ways. She let out a sigh of relief. Jake disappeared somewhere, while Julian remained perched on the edge of the couch. He was looking her way now, so she headed over to him.

"So," Peyton said, sitting next to him, "I see you and Jake were getting to know each other."

"Yup. He's a pretty cool guy."

"Yeah..."

They fell into silence for a few seconds. Julian looked distracted as he stared down at the ground. She was about to ask him just exactly was going on before he looked back at her, a frown on his usually cheerful face.

"We need to talk, Peyton."

She looked at him seriously. She knew they did.

"When?"

"I have to meet Lucas for coffee tomorrow morning, but can you meet me for lunch?"

She was supposed to be recording with Jake at that time, but she could tell that Julian didn't have a lot of time to offer so she nodded.

"Yeah, that'll work."

Then he stood up. "I'm gonna go get some food," he said, before walking away and disappearing into the kitchen.

Peyton was a little surprised at his behavior. He seemed so distant, sad even. Something was definitely up with him. She wondered for a second if it was having Jake around, but then she considered that it could possibly be the movie. And that led to her wondering if maybe the movie was being canceled, which in turn meant that Julian wouldn't be around Tree Hill much longer.

And that thought just made her want to cry.

"Hey, Peyton."

Jake appeared at her side, a big smile on his face as he handed her a plate of food.

"Thanks," she murmured.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah," she lied.

"No, you're not."

She sighed; Jake knew her way too well, even after all these years. She stared down at the food, not in the least bit hungry. Julian leaving was inevitable, even if the movie was still being made, but he was supposed to be around for many more months to make the movie, so she thought she'd have plenty of time to find ways to get him to stick around. If the movie wasn't being made, though, he'd be gone in a few days, possibly never to return again.

"People always leave."

He knew those words well. She'd used them to describe him, as well as those other important people who'd left her long ago.

"Yeah, they do," Jake said and his words left her feeling broken. "It's just a part of life, I guess."

Silence enveloped them as they both observed all the people around them. Brooke and Lucas were on the couch, her head resting contently on his shoulder, while Nathan and Haley sat across from them, Haley laughing as Nathan whispered something in her ear. Jamie was chasing Jenny around the living room. Mouth and Millicent could be seen talking with Skills, Junk, and Fergie out in the backyard. Julian was walking back out of the kitchen with Rachel on his heels. These people were her family. She loved them all. And life without them was just wrong.

Then Jake turned to her, a small, but hopeful smile on his face. "But sometimes they come back."

And he was right. Sometimes they _do _come back. And she had a strong feeling that that would pertain to both Jake and Julian. They'd be back, no matter who her heart belonged too. And that was really all that mattered.

**888**

As the night died down, Brooke found herself out by the pool. The sun was setting and people were starting to leave. It had been a good night, almost perfect actually. It was one of those special nights that would always remind her of the people who really mattered in her life. She wasn't blood related to one single person in that house, but they were more her family than her own mother and father.

A pair of arms wrapped around her waist and she didn't even need to look around to see who they belonged too. She just knew.

"You okay?" She nodded, resting her head along Lucas' chest. "What're you thinking about?" he asked.

"Just about how lucky I am to have all these people in my life." She tilted her head up to look at him. "Cheesy, I know, but I can't help but be grateful for every single person here. They're the only family I have."

"I don't think it's cheesy, I think you're right. We're your family, just like your a part of ours." He rested his chin on her shoulder. "And speaking of family, I just promised our godson that I'd hang out with him after school tomorrow. Care to join us?"

"Of course. I haven't spent nearly enough time with my favorite boys lately."

She could feel him grinning against her cheek. "Jamie will love that."

Then he twirled her around in his arms and she was looking right up at him. He bent down to place a soft kiss on her lips before leaning his forehead against hers.

"This is working, isn't it? Me and you?"

"Yeah," she said, knowing that it really was. There was nothing more right than this. "It really is."

* * *

**A/N: **So, yeah, this was mostly a filler chapter. I hope you enjoyed it anyway. I know it was pretty light in terms of Brucas, but there was only so much I could do for them this chapter. Next chapter, you'll see more of them and, if all goes as planned, Letter 85 will make it's appearance.

So thanks so much to everyone for reading and please, please, _please _remember to review! (hint: reviews get me writing faster :D) I will love you forever if you do!

**Lena: **I feel like I haven't responded to your reviews in forever and I'm so sorry for that! I absolutely love every single one of your reviews, though, just so you know! Onto your review, I know that Lucas could have been angry with Peyton a little longer, but I decided not to drag it out. I thought it was time she came out and told Lucas that she knew she was wrong and explain why she didn't tell him. And yeah, I agree, Peyton always acts like she was alone while she and Lucas were apart, which is crap, as we now know. So I'm glad you were happy that I put that in there, because it's something they'll obviously never address on the show. They'll never address a lot of things, actually, but that's why I'm writing this story. To fill in some of those holes, mostly when it comes to Brucas of course. Which is why I included the letters in here too. Because we're never going to know if Mark really just forgot that there were only 82 letters, not 86 (and if he did then he's truly an idiot) or if Brooke actually wrote four more letters. It's kind of sad that that question will most likely never be answered, but we might as well answer it in fan fics, right? So I'm glad that you thought the letter was well done. I hope I can do the other two justice as well. Thanks so much for taking the time to review, Lena! It really means so much!


	22. Relief

**Relief**

When Lucas arrived at the coffee shop the next day, he found a sullen looking Julian waiting for him at a table outside. He was looking down at his cell phone, distracted as he sucked at the straw of his iced tea. Lucas observed him for a moment, wondering what exactly was causing Julian's odd behavior. It had to be the movie, but to what lengths it was, he didn't know. He'd find out very soon, he supposed.

"Hey, Julian," Lucas said, taking a seat across from the movie producer.

"Oh, hey, Luke." Julian set his phone down and nodded down at the coffee cup in front of him. "I already ordered," he said, handing it to him.

"Thanks."

Julian was distracted by the buzzing of his phone and he shook his head, frustrated, before taking a few seconds to punch at the keypad.

"Sorry," Julian said once he was finished, "things are kind of crazy at the office back home."

"What's going on?" Lucas asked curiously.

"It's complicated," Julian said, sighing. "Basically, my boss screwed up and now the company's losing a shitload of money."

Julian gritted his teeth, his eyes narrowing as he took a sip of his tea. Lucas wasn't quite sure what to say.

"I'm sorry."

Julian just shrugged. "It's his loss, not mine. I'm the one who's still got a job."

"Your boss was fired?"

He nodded. "Long time coming, actually, but it couldn't have come at a worse time."

Lucas remained quiet, waiting for Julian to continue, although he had a good idea of what was about to come.

"It's over, Lucas," Julian stated

"Over?"

"Yeah. The movie. It's not going to happen."

Once again, Lucas didn't know what to say. "Oh."

Julian sighed, continuing, "Since my dad was fired from our company, there's no way we can finance the movie anymore, which, as I'm sure you've figured out, means the movie can't be made."

"Oh," Lucas said again. He was silent for a moment, taking the moment in. "Wait, did you say your _dad _was fired?"

"Yeah, my dad's my boss...unfortunately. But he's the one who held all the money for this and now he's out, which pretty much screws up everything. I'm sorry, Lucas. I never meant to get your hopes up for this only to bring you down."

"No, no," Lucas murmured, "I know you didn't. It's...it's fine."

Julian cocked an eyebrow. "Are you sure? You could've made a lot of money, Lucas. I wouldn't be fine if I were you. Actually, _I'm _not fine. I'm kind of pissed."

"Well," he said, smiling sheepishly, "when you put it that way."

Maybe Lucas wasn't completely fine, but he had spent the night preparing himself for this. It seemed by Julian's actions yesterday that the worst was coming and surely it had. But it wasn't the end of the world. There was even a part of himself, small though it was, that had preferred to keep his book away from the Hollywood world, untouched and sacred. Of course, the other, much larger, part was eager to see his own creation on the big screen, to see it unfold before his very eyes. But now that hope was gone. His book would remain just a book.

But it was okay. He would move on. Yes, he had spent weeks working on a script, getting his hopes up for this movie, but it wasn't as if he'd set up his life around this dream. The fact that he'd gotten his book published was a big enough accomplishment. A movie would have just been icing on the cake.

"I was looking forward to it," Lucas said after a bout of silence, "but this isn't the end of the world. Maybe it's even for the best."

"What do you mean?"

"I've got my own life here that I need to concentrate on. I mean, right now my main priority is Brooke and the fact that this movie was focusing a lot on my love story with Peyton might not help with that. Which means it's probably a good thing she won't have to see it."

"If you want to look it like that," Julian said with a chuckle. "I guess it's good to stay positive."

But then Julian was frowning again and it was clear that Julian was having a hard time staying as positive himself. And then Lucas understood.

"So, is this going to be the last we see of you?"

"I don't know." Julian's gaze rested solemnly on his iced tea. "I guess that's up to Peyton."

Lucas just nodded. He hoped for Julian's sake that things would work out with Peyton, but even if they didn't, he hoped that Julian would at least stay in all their lives. In the short amount of time Julian had spent in Tree Hill, he'd become a great friend not just to Lucas, but to everyone here.

"I hope everything works out," Lucas said, standing up.

Julian stood up too. "Yeah...me too."

"Thank you for everything, Julian. For believing in this movie and in me. It really means a lot."

"Well, you just so happen to be the author of an amazing book." Then he was smiling that familiar grin. "Even if it did screw me and Peyton over. But thanks for giving me the chance to work with you, Lucas. It was an honor, it really was."

Lucas grabbed for Julian's outstretched hand and shook it, sending him a soft smile. It felt like this was a goodbye, but somehow Lucas knew it wasn't. Neither he nor Julian knew how things would turn out, but they both knew that this was just the beginning for them all— the start of the newest chapter of all their lives. And things would work out. How and when was the question now, but there was no doubt that it would. It was all just a matter of time.

**888**

The sun had just barely risen, but Peyton was already with Jake in the recording studio. They'd both arrived early, since there was a lot of work to fit in today. Jake was leaving tomorrow to go home to Savannah and that meant that this was their last recording session for the next two weeks. And since Peyton had promised a certain other guy her lunch hour, she was working Jake harder than normal.

After a few hours, she finally gave Jake a chance to rest his vocal chords.

"Are you okay, Peyton?" he asked as he took a seat next to her on the couch. "You seem kind of off."

"I'm fine," she murmured, although she really was distracted. Her mind kept on wandering to Julian and their lunch, where she was sure to be given the news that he was leaving, that she might not see him again.

"Come on, Sawyer," Jake said, nudging her playfully. "You can tell me anything."

She smiled softly at him. "I know. I'm just worrying about my lunch with Julian."

"Do you think the movie fell through?"

"I don't know, but that's what I'm preparing myself for."

"Well, for your sake, I hope it didn't. I know that you're really close to him."

"Yeah..."

Why did Jake always have to be so supportive of her and her relationships with other guys? First Lucas, now Julian. Why couldn't he just make things easier by wanting him all to himself, by fighting for her instead of letting her go. It was frustrating sometimes.

But when it all came down to it, she knew it was because it wasn't like him to put up a fight. He was selfless like that, kind of like Brooke, actually. He put others happiness before himself and she loved that about him, especially because that was something she struggled to do herself.

The down side to it, though, was that it made it very hard for her to decipher his true feelings for her. He'd never really come out to Peyton and told her that he still had feelings for her and she hadn't done so either, whereas with Julian, she knew where he stood. But Jake put up a front. He didn't wear his heart on his sleeve, probably for fear that it would get broken again. And even though they'd shared a kiss, she needed to hear in his own words how he felt. She didn't think she could move forward with either guy if she didn't know.

"Jake, I need to know...do you..." She paused, trying to figure out how to word the question without being incredibly blunt. "Do you still care about me...I mean like you used to?"

The question seemed to take him by surprise. He sat there for a moment, his face unreadable, and she waited, heart beating wildly in her chest, for his answer. An answer that could change everything.

"I'll always care about you," he said slowly. "You mean so much to me. You always will."

"But do you ever wonder if we could go back to what we used to have?"

"Yeah, of course I wonder. I used to wonder all the time. But...I don't think we can, to be honest. We're different people now. We've gone through other relationships with other people and we've lived apart for so long...So no, I don't think we can ever go back to that."

Her heart dropped. She looked away, tears springing to her eyes, and any hope she'd had for her and Jake seemed to have jumped out the window. He didn't want to be with her again.

"But, Peyton." His fingers laced through hers. "That's okay. Because even though we can't go back, we can go forward. We can start something new, something fresh and different."

And then the hope was back. She looked at him again, her lips twitching into a small smile.

"But only if it's really me you want. I've gone six years without being with you and I've missed you like hell every single day. I know by now that I need you in my life, even if it's just as friends. Friendship is so, so much better than nothing."

"Yeah," she murmured, "it is."

"So if just friendship is our new beginning, then that's okay. All I want is for you to be happy."

The tears were coming back. She couldn't believe how amazing Jake was being to her. She really didn't deserve him. She didn't deserve Julian either. Actually, she was wondering if they'd both just be better off without her.

"Thanks, Jake," she mumbled and he wrapped his arms around her, holding her close.

He just smiled. "Anything for you, Peyton."

**888**

Falling onto the couch, Brooke rested her head against the pillow and closed her eyes, hoping that sleep could find her here. She had a day off today, something that had become increasingly rare for her lately. So naturally she wasn't really sure what to do with herself. She'd woken up at six this morning under the assumption that she was working, but by the time she'd remembered that she wasn't, unfortunately for her, she couldn't fall back asleep. After an hour of trying, she gave up and headed downstairs.

"What are you doing?"

She cracked open an eye to find Rachel staring down at her curiously, her face not even two inches away from her own. Instinctively, Brooke flinched.

"Whoa, okay, back up there, slut. You almost gave me a heart attack."

Rachel grinned. "Sorry. But seriously, what are you doing down here? Don't you have a day off?"

"Yeah."

"And you're not still up in your bedroom sleeping, why?"

"I woke up early and couldn't fall back asleep."

"Come on, Brooke, when you've got a day off, you need to use it. Every minute, every second of it. And most of that time should involve sleeping. Or sex. One of the two. And yet you're sitting here, doing neither. At seven in the morning. Do you know how wrong that is?"

With a roll of her eyes, Brooke sat up. She wasn't even going to bother with a retort. She watched Rachel move into the kitchen and pour herself a cup of coffee.

"Rach—"

"Hold it there, bitch. If what's about to come out of your mouth is anything work related, then I don't want to hear it. Another rule of days off is you cannot think or talk about anything work related. It totally ruins the affect of a day off."

"You do realize that's impossible, right?"

"Not for me."

"Yeah, well you're..._you_. Work isn't exactly your top priority."

Rachel snorted. "True." The redhead disappeared momentarily behind the open fridge door before appearing again with a carton of milk. "So, why aren't you at Lucas'? Did you two have a fight?"

"What, I can't sleep at my own house anymore?"

"No, you've just been spending most of your nights at his place lately, so it's kind of weird that you're here."

"We went our separate ways last night," Brooke replied airily. "He had to get up early to meet Julian and he wanted me to spend my morning sleeping in in my own bed."

"Which you're obviously not doing."

"Yeah, well...whatever."

Balancing both her bowl of cereal and cup of coffee in her hands, Rachel moved back into the living room and over to the couch. She sent Brooke a pointed look that clearly told her to move over. Brooke glared playfully at her before lifting up her feet and allowing Rachel to sit.

"So can you just remember to tell Millie—"

"Brooke! No work talk!"

Brooke sighed in annoyance as she settled back onto the couch.

"And I've already talked to Millicent about the orders, so don't worry. Everything will be under control."

Her frown turned into a smile. "Good. Thanks, Rachel."

"No problem. But this is the last we discuss of this today, okay?"

"Fine," Brooke relented.

Neither made any move to say anything else and so Brooke was left to only the sound of Rachel's crunching as she closed her eyes once again. For a moment, she almost found herself succumbing to sleep, but then Rachel's voice tore her eyes open again.

"Brooke?"

"Yeah?"

She glanced at Rachel, who'd finished her cereal and now was looking unusually thoughtful.

"I just..." She sighed, her face twisting, searching for the right words. "Thank you," she finally said, her words plain and simple.

"Um. You're welcome." Brooke sat up a little, leaning against the arm of the couch. "For what?"

"For everything." Rachel paused for a second. "I know this sounds random, but I've been thinking about it a lot lately, about everything you've done for me. And I don't think I tell you enough how much I appreciate it. Because truthfully, I wouldn't be here without you. You've saved my life. Literally. So thanks."

Rachel looked slightly uncomfortable with this release of emotion, but Brooke just beamed at her, touched. She pulled the redhead into her arms and, even though she could practically feel Rachel's eye rolls, she didn't let go.

"I'm so proud of you, Rachel," Brooke murmured. "You've come such a long way."

"Thanks to you," Rachel said as she pulled away. "But, yeah, let's stop with this moment before it gets too emotional, because I see you're tearing up, Brooke, and I'm sorry, but I don't do crying."

"I'm not tearing up!"

"Hmm, well I guess your eyes are just really watery then. You might went to do something about that. They've got these eye drops—"

"Rachel."

"What?"

"Thanks." Rachel just stared at her blankly and Brooke continued, "For coming home, for being here for me when I need you, and for always watching out for me. You and I didn't start out too well when we first met, but you're one of the only people who always stuck by me and I'm never going to forget that."

"Yeah, well..." She smirked, shaking her head. "Your welcome."

Brooke chuckled. "You really don't like these little moments, do you?"

"I try to avoid them as much as possible, yes. But whatever. I guess I can put up with them for you."

"How sweet." Then Brooke gave a swift kick to Rachel's leg. "Now go get ready. I'm counting on you to not run my store in the ground today."

**888**

Peyton stared across the table at her lunch companion. The majority of their meal had consisted of small talk, but now the inevitable was coming. Julian was finally going to explain what was going on.

"The movie's canceled, Peyton."

And there it was. It came out so fast, so blunt, that at first she'd wondered if she'd even heard right. He went on to explain that his father had been fired, that they didn't have the money, and that he'd told Lucas. And she just listened in silence, shocked, even though she really shouldn't have been; she'd been expecting this. Then he stopped talking, waiting for her reaction.

For a few moments, she didn't say anything. She didn't know what to say, really. The movie was canceled. That wasn't good. For Lucas and Julian, and for her too. Because if this movie wasn't being made that meant that Julian wouldn't be around much longer. And she couldn't have that.

"So you're leaving?" she asked. Her breath caught in her throat and she was ashamed at how much this was affecting her, but she didn't want him to leave. Not when he wouldn't be coming back.

"Yes." His hand reached across the table to rest on top of hers. "I have to. My home's not here, Peyton."

She turned her head away, her hair falling in front of her face to hide the tears.

"And you're not coming back?"

"I don't know."

Silence washed over them. She couldn't look at him. For some reason she was angry, though she didn't know who with. Maybe she was angry with his dad, who really was the reason behind this whole mess. And maybe she was angry with Julian, for not fighting to stay, for acting like leaving was his only choice. But really, if she was honest with herself, she knew she angry with herself. And that was for getting so attached to him, for letting him get so attached to her, for leading him on while she led another man on as well and not being able to let go of either.

Julian's voice poked through her thoughts. "I can come back," he said, and finally she looked at him again. He was staring straight at her, his eyes piercing into hers, and she couldn't look away. "But I need a reason to."

That just broke her more. Because she wanted to give him a reason to stay. She wanted to jump right up and exclaim her undying love for him, to tell him that they could have a life together here, if only he'd come back to her. They could be happy.

But she couldn't. Because she couldn't lead him on anymore. She couldn't force him to stay only to risk breaking his heart soon after. And she couldn't pretend that he wasn't aware of all this. Because he was. He knew that there was a Jake in the picture. He also probably knew that if there wasn't a Jake, even if there wasn't a Lucas, they could have been together a long time ago. But other people always got in their way. If she was ever to give herself to him, she wanted it to be when she could give him her whole heart, not just half. He needed everything. And he _wanted _everything too. He didn't want to settle and he didn't want her to settle either.

So what did he want her to do right now? Did he want her to give him a reason? But he knew she couldn't give him the one he wanted. He knew that. So what was she supposed to say?

"Julian, I..."

"You don't need to say anything," Julian interrupted. It was as if he'd read her mind. "I don't _want _you to say anything, actually. Just...think about us, okay? Think about if we could ever really work, if it's worth it for me to come back, to stay here and maintain a relationship with you."

"I..." She wanted to argue, to question if he could handle friendship or if he was always going to want more, but she knew that he didn't want to discuss that right now. He wanted her to think. To think about _them_. If she could ever imagine them actually working. So she'd keep quiet and do as he said. For him. "Okay."

He nodded. "I have to get going. I've got a phone conference in a half hour and I can't miss it."

"When are you going back to LA?" she asked.

"Tomorrow night."

Her heart hammered in her chest. Tomorrow? That was too soon. Way too soon.

"Am I gonna see you before then?"

"I don't know." He stood up, running a hand through his hair as he did, and looked around anxiously. "Maybe it would be best if we didn't. If we said goodbye now."

Her eyes narrowed and the tears were coming back. "But you said that you wanted me to think about us. How can I do that if you're gone? If you might not ever come home?"

"Peyton," he said, a small smile on his face. He sat next to her and put a hand on her arm. "I'm always a phone call away."

"It's not the same."

"You have to understand why I'm doing this, Peyton. I don't want my leaving to cause you to feel like you've got to rush into anything, like if you don't give me that reason to stay, I won't be coming back. I want you to believe with your own mind, your own heart and your soul that you want to be with me and only me. I don't want anything less. I'm sorry if that seems demanding it's just...I'm done settling and I know you are too."

A tear slipped down her cheek and he brushed it away with his thumb.

"So this is goodbye?"

"I think it should be."

"But you have to come back now. Even if I can't give a reason other than friendship, even if I can't promise you anything, you need to come back."

His smile softened as his hand found hers again. "I will."

"You promise?"

He grinned. "I'd promise you anything, Peyton Sawyer."

And then her arms were thrown around him and her face dug into his chest as his own arms held her tight, their bodies molding together. And even though she knew that she couldn't promise him anything— or if she even ever could— she was sure that he would always be an essential part of her life, a great friend, maybe more, but he would always be there. Even if he wasn't ready to say it yet, he knew that too. There was no going back now. Like Julian had said a few weeks ago, they'd reached the point of no return. All that was left now was to move forward.

**888**

Brooke's day was going by remarkably slowly and she was finding herself more than bored. The only hope she had was the fact that Lucas and Jamie would be here any minute.

She was looking forward to seeing Lucas for a number of reasons, most of them quite obvious, but she was most curious to find out about his meeting with Julian. When she'd called him earlier, he'd left her with a vague explanation that the movie was canceled and they'd talk about it later. Surprisingly, he hadn't seemed too disappointed. This was probably because he'd been preparing himself for this ever since Julian had returned.

She wasn't sure how she felt about it herself. On one hand, she'd been looking forward to seeing Lucas' work on screen, but on the other, the book itself didn't bring back great memories for her, so she doubted the movie would either. Actually, she'd have been lying if she said it hadn't come as a bit of a relief to hear that the movie wouldn't be made.

Then she thought of Peyton and how the movie being canceled could only signal Julian's departure. She'd have to call Peyton later and see how she was doing.

But now, as Lucas and Jamie both made their way through the front door, she would concentrate on herself and her two favorite boys.

"Hi, Aunt Brooke," Jamie said, jumping up on the couch to sit next to her.

Brooke tucked an arm around him. "Hello my handsome godson. How was school?"

Jamie shrugged. "It was okay. Kind of boring."

"Well, I can tell you one thing, hanging out with me is most definitely not going to be boring."

"What're we gonna do?" Jamie asked.

"Whatever you want. The sky's the limit. But I was thinking we could start with ice cream." She glanced over at Lucas, who was poking his head into the fridge. "That is if your uncle doesn't ruin his appetite. Broody, what're you doing? We're going out."

"Yeah, I know." Reluctantly, he shut the fridge door before making his way over to them. "Ready to go then?"

Brooke nodded. "Yup."

Jamie, bundle of energy that he was, jumped back off the couch and bounded towards the door before disappearing outside. Lucas took Brooke's hand and they followed him out. As they made their way to the car, Brooke glanced him curiously.

"So are you okay?"

"Hmm, what? Oh, yeah, I'm fine."

"Are you sure, Luke? You kind of lost out on a lot of money."

Lucas chuckled. "You know when people mention the money part, I do tend to get a little depressed."

"Well, you should be. This movie was a big deal."

"Yeah, well...it's okay." Lucas helped Jamie into the car before turning back to her. "We'll talk about it later, okay? I kind of want to enjoy an afternoon with my godson, how about you?"

Brooke doubted he was really okay, but she nodded, knowing that now wasn't the time to bring it up. They'd talk later and then she'd see if he really was as fine as he claimed to be.

**888**

Later turned out to be in a few hours as they sat together on a bench in a park, watching Jamie play on the jungle gym. Lucas was brooding. She was used to this, of course, she didn't call him broody for nothing, but he was so quiet and he had this look on his face— not necessarily sad or disappointed, but calm and unreadable and just...well, broody.

A small, peaceful smile was on his lips as he focused on Jamie, but her eyes were on him. His silence didn't normally bother her this much, but it was more than frustrating now since she just didn't understand his reaction to the rather huge news that his book was no longer being made into a movie.

"Lucas," she said, turning to him in pointedly. "Are you sure you're fine? Because it just doesn't make any sense for you _not _to be. You spent weeks working on the script and you'd already started up casting. It's been such a big part of your life these past few months and I really don't understand how you can be so calm about all this."

He almost seemed amused at this, at least judging by the chuckle escaping his mouth. But she glared at him, not buying the act.

"Okay," he said, sighing, "honestly? I'm disappointed. I really am. You're right, I put a lot of time and effort into this and it was all for nothing. So yeah, I'm a little annoyed. Especially when I think of the money," he added with a bitter chuckle.

"Then why are trying to act like it's okay? If I were you, I'd be beyond frustrated."

"I guess I'm acting like it's okay because, well...it _is_ okay."

"But you just said it wasn't!"

"I didn't say that. I said I was disappointed and a little annoyed. But I really am okay, Brooke. You wanna know why?" She stared at him in exasperation and he took that as his cue to continue. "Because, even though this movie was an amazing once and a lifetime opportunity, compared to what really matters in my life, it wasn't important." She stared at him blankly. "It's just a movie, Brooke. It's not as if it's something I was waiting for all my life, or like I've lost out on my biggest dream."

"Yeah, but..."

"Listen to me," Lucas said, his eyes soft as they pierced into hers, "the most important thing in my life right now— my main priority— is you. Nothing else matters."

"But what does that have to do with the movie?"

"It has everything to do with it. When I wrote that book, I was with Peyton, so naturally it's very pro-Peyton and leaves us in the dust. I tried to rework the script as best as I could so that I could change that, but it doesn't change the fact that you'd practically have to relive it again watching it on the big screen."

"Oh." Brooke frowned. "So you were worried about me?"

"You were one of my biggest worries when Julian first called me about the movie, actually, but I put that worry aside since you said you didn't mind. But were you really fine with it? Because I wouldn't have been if I were you. I mean, did you really want to go back there, Brooke? Did you want to risk reopening old wounds just for the heck of it?"

"Okay, yeah, I admit that it would've been a little hard, but it's not something I would want the movie canceled over."

"And I didn't want it canceled, believe me, Brooke. But this has been something that's been bothering me for the past few months, and so it honestly does feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders now that it's not happening. Because I didn't want to have to watch you relive that either, Brooke. I didn't want to see you experience what Peyton and I did to you all over again."

"Luke..."

She scooted closer to him and her hand slipped into his. His intense eyes latched onto hers. She could understand his relief. After all, she'd felt that same relief earlier when she'd first heard. But she also hadn't known what was still bothering him. She remembered the night he'd found out about the movie at Nathan's game. He'd been so preoccupied and he's also seemed so worried about her reaction to it. And then he'd gone through great lengths to change the script, to rewrite it in a more truthful way, but also being forced to stay faithful to his novel. And it had been for her. Every little detail he'd worried about, had been for her. Because he didn't want to her to relive the pain.

"Thank you for worrying about me," she said, squeezing his hand. "I guess I was actually kind of relieved about it too, to be honest. Now if it was a movie all about how much you loved _me_, well then I would have been a little peeved."

He chuckled. "Yes, that would have been disappointing. But I don't think we need a movie about us. Because we've got real life, don't we?"

"Yes," she said, leaning forward to meet his lips, "we definitely do. And real life is so much better."

"You guys kiss a lot."

They pulled apart to find Jamie standing in front of them, an amused look on his face.

Lucas grinned. "That's because I just so happen to the best kisser in the world. I think Brooke can attest to that."

"Eh, you're okay."

"Thank you, honey, for you overwhelming support."

Brooke sent him a playful wink before placing a kiss on his cheek. "You know I'm kidding. But we should probably get going, Jamie. You've got school tomorrow so we don't want to keep you out too late."

Her hand slipped into Lucas' as they walked to their car with Jamie. She listened with a smile as Lucas promised Jamie they'd do this again soon.

"It's so cool that you're dating," Jamie happily announced. "Now we can do everything together, just the three of us."

"We did that before," Brooke pointed out.

"Yeah, but this is just... different."

And she supposed she agreed with that. A lot changed when you went from being friends to more. And she did think it was fitting that Jamie's godparents were together, as Jamie definitely thought too.

"But it's good," Jamie continued. "Really good."

"I'm glad you approve," Lucas said, chuckling.

He caught Brooke's eye and she smiled because she agreed. This was good. Really good.

**888**

Peyton sat frozen in her chair, her eyes staring blankly at her computer screen. Jake had just left. She'd just said another goodbye. Of course it was only a temporary one, but she still didn't like it. Because now she was all alone again.

Jake and Julian were both making it very clear that they wanted her to be happy and that they didn't want her to settle. They were being noble and selfless and might as well have been sending her off to the other guy. So how could she possibly make a choice now?

Lucas had told her not to rush, that it wouldn't get her anywhere and would probably end up breaking someone's heart. But she couldn't help but feel like she needed to do something, especially since she really wasn't making any progress. It seemed as if she kept running around in circles. And that just made her want to put a stop to it, to make a choice and live with the consequences. After all, how could she possibly settle with Jake or Julian? They were both two amazing men who, for reasons she still couldn't understand, wanted to be with her. So what was stopping her from choosing?

She knew what it was, though. It was the two of them. She might be happy either way she went, but Jake or Julian, or possibly even both, would suffer in the end. And she didn't want to do that. She wanted the least amount of pain as possible.

That was why she knew what she had to do. It would be hard and she didn't know how the two of them would react, but she hoped they'd take it well, that they'd understand. They _had _to understand. Because there was no other option left to her but this. It wasn't as if what she was going to do was a horrible thing, anyway, it would just put a stop to the circles, to the expectations. And it would make _her _feel better. The thought of it was already a huge relief. It was the best the decision.

It was the only decision.

**888**

They stayed at Nathan and Haley's for dinner, but now they were at his house. Brooke was curled next to Lucas on his bed, her head on his chest as his hand strung through her hair. It was perfect. Just what he needed on a day like today. Not that he'd had a particularly bad day, of course, but after his meeting with Julian, he'd gone back and forth from being frustrated to relieved that the movie was being canceled. Now, he was back to relieved again.

"So, I've got Letter 85 for you," Brooke said, tipping her head up to look at him.

"Really?"

She nodded as she sat up and reached for her purse on the ground. "I think you've waited long enough," she said as she pulled the letter out and handed it to him.

He slipped the letter out of the envelop. "Any background info needed?"

"Well, I think I was kind of frustrated when I wrote it, so it might be a little angry from what I remember. But it's not too bad, I think. I wrote it like three years ago, so it's kind of hard to remember."

"When did you write it?"

"You'll find out when you read it."

"Sorry," he said, grinning. "I just want to prepare myself for what's to come."

"It's not that bad," she assured him. "Just read it."

He smiled, glancing down at the paper. "Not a problem, Pretty Girl..."

_Lucas,_

_I have to say that I never imagined I'd be writing to you again. I haven't written to you in over a year and even though not a day goes by that I don't think of you, I've managed to completely immerse myself into my company, which has really become my life in almost every way. But you've once again inspired me to write again._

_You showed up last night in New York. You're getting your book published and I'm so, so proud of you. I'm not sure why you called me tonight, to stand by your side as your dream came true, but I appreciate it more than you could ever know. _

_Last night was an escape from reality. It was just what I needed. But it was also just what I didn't need. Because it forced me admit to myself that I'm still every bit in love with you as I was two years ago, when we were still together, and happy and in love. And I hate it. I really do. You really are the one boy I'd lose it all for._

_Do you know how hard it was for me to pull away in the hotel room? Do you know how painful it was to leave you there, to tell you that it was Peyton you wanted and loved, not me? It was excruciating. Almost as bad as when I broke up with you or when I walked in on you and Peyton in Honeygrove. In one night, all the progress I'd made over the last year was lost. I thought I was coming along, that I was finally getting over you, but it turns out I wasn't. I'm no where near over you._

_You have no idea how much I wished that ring on my finger was really mine last night. That we were really engaged and in love, that the two boys and a girl could become reality. I laughed it off then, but in my heart I was dieing inside. I wanted it to be true. I wanted to be your future wife, the girl you loved more than anyone else. Not the girl who wore the ring that was meant for my best friend. Not the rebound._

_But it's really no use complaining. It's not like you're doing this to me on purpose. I think writing just helps me get these feelings out, in hope that maybe if I release this anger and frustration, I'll get over it sooner. I'm not sure if it really works, though, since I'm really not feeling any better now. I think I'll just give up on trying to stop loving you and hope this feeling just goes away on it's own. Nothing else seems to be working._

_So now I've got to go back to reality, which sucks to be honest, as I'm sure you'll agree. But I'm sure everything will work out. You and Peyton will find your way back and you and I will be friends as always. Nothing more. But I guess that's how it's just got to be. I really do love you, but I hope that someday I don't, at least not in this way. I think that would be the best for all of us._

_Brooke_

His eyes moved slowly from the letter and on to her. "Huh."

She let out a nervous laugh. "Huh? Is that all you've got to say?"

"No," he said. "I'm just taking this all in."

It was kind of weird, actually. Just like he'd felt like with the last letter, he felt like he was taking a step into her mind, and now as he looked back in to that night in New York, he had a new view on the events that had taken place. Because while he, in his idiotic obliviousness, thought that Brooke had absolutely no romantic feelings for him anymore, she had really still been in love with him. She hid it well, but he still felt like he should have seen it. But when she'd refused him in that hotel room and pushed him away, he'd assumed that her feelings for him had disappeared. It was stupid, really, for him to assume that, and he wished more than anything that he hadn't jumped to conclusions.

And then there was the fact that she'd really still loved him. Even after all that time. And that in itself was a miraculous thing. Because he didn't deserve her love. Especially then, when his heart was so conflicted and lost, when he'd led her on without even knowing it.

He sighed. "I just...I felt like I should've seen it. I really thought you were over me..."

"I thought I was too, but obviously I was wrong."

"You know that night was kind of crazy for me too."

"Really? Did you realize you were still in love with me too?" she teased.

"Actually, the whole night really confused me as far as my feelings for you. When were in that carriage and we were telling that driver about those two boys and a girl, the winters in the South of France...I found myself wanting that, not with Peyton, but with you. It scared me because I knew I shouldn't be feeling that way after all that had happened, but it sort of brought back old feelings for you. Of course, after you rejected me later that night, and my ego was shattered, I made the choice not to do anything about those feelings...Big mistake there. I really wish I'd have gone after you. I was too much of a coward, though. I couldn't bear the thought of being rejected again."

"Nobody likes rejection," she said reasonably.

"I know, but I in particular just don't take it well. I think I've gotten a little better over the years, but there is a reason I didn't call you that night to go to Vegas with me. I knew you'd say no."

"You didn't know that."

"Brooke. Come on."

"Okay," she said, shrugging, "I would've said no. But only because it would have been an incredibly stupid thing to do."

Lucas laughed. "I agree." Then he took her hand and brought it up to his mouth, kissing her knuckles. "I know I said this last time, but thank you for letting me read these letters."

"Well, I did write them for you. It would be a shame if you never did get to read them."

"Still, it means so much that you're willing to open up to me, to let me all the way in." He pulled her forward and closed the gap between them. His lips brushed against hers and he was once again reminded of how lucky he was that he got to kiss her again, that he got to call her his girlfriend. He shuddered to think that their last kiss very well could have been in that hotel room that night.

"Any chance I'll be getting the last letter soon?"

"Maybe," she said, grinning mischievously as she settled herself in his lap. "Maybe not."

He tickled her nose with his before kissing her again. "How about tomorrow?"

"We'll see."

"As long as I don't have to wait another week like I did for this one."

"If you keep complaining, it'll be two."

Chuckling softly, he raised his hands defensively. "Hey, I'm not complaining. I'm just saying...I was very patient for this one."

"Don't worry. It won't be long. I actually really like the next letter."

"Yeah?"

She nodded as she nuzzled her face into the crook of his neck. "It was so much more hopeful."

"Well, now you've got me even more impatient."

His arms wrapped around her as he pulled them both back onto the bed. Was it wrong for things to be this perfect? He didn't think so. In fact, he felt like they deserved it. After all those years of pain and heartache, of trying to move on but not being able to, they deserved to finally get their happy ending. And now it seemed they were finally getting it.

* * *

**A/N: **I'm so sorry for the wait for this chapter! I totally didn't plan on taking this long, but real life got to me. I hope this chapter made up for it, though.

So just to let you all know, this story is coming to a close. There's two chapters left, one of which is the epilogue. This is actually the reason I put that Brachel scene in here, I wanted to give a little bit of closure to Rachel since she most likely won't be in the next chapter, although she'll definitely be in the epilogue. The epilogue will really wrap things up, though, so I'm sure you'll all be pretty satisfied.

Thanks to everyone for reviewing last chapter! Keep them coming :D (oh and this might be a good time to give me your final opinion on who you want Peyton to end up with. I _thought _I'd made the decision a little while ago, but I've recently found myself changing my mind again and I really want your opinions to help me decide once and for all!)


	23. Someday

**Someday**

Brooke felt like she hadn't seen Peyton in weeks, when in reality it had only been a little more than a day. But since a lot had happened in that one day, Brooke decided to leave Lucas' early the next morning, and stop by her house on her way to work to see how her best friend was doing.

Peyton was sitting at the kitchen table, looking particularly broody as she chewed on a piece of toast, when Brooke arrived.

"Hey, P. Sawyer."

Peyton sent her a small smile as she took a seat across from her. "Hey, B. Davis. What're you doing here? Shouldn't you be at work?"

"Well, since I didn't get a chance to talk to you yesterday, I wanted to make sure I did today, so I decided to come see you. You know...to make sure you're okay."

Peyton cocked an eyebrow. "Okay." Then she concentrated back down at the newspaper she'd been reading, fitfully ignoring Brooke.

"Peyton," Brooke said pointedly.

"What's up?" Peyton asked, as if she didn't have a clue what Brooke was going on about. Brooke had the feeling she didn't want to talk about the particular subject that Brooke was about to bring up, but unfortunately for her, she had no choice.

"You know what's up. I heard about Julian and the movie."

"Mhmm..."

"And I know you're trying to act like you're okay with him leaving, but obviously you're not, so come on, Peyton. Let me be there for you."

"Brooke," Peyton said, finally focusing solely on Brooke, "I'm not okay with him leaving. It sucks, actually. But I know he'll be back, just like Jake will be back too, and that's good enough for me right now."

"Oh." Brooke shifted in her chair, a little surprised at Peyton's straightforwardness. But she was glad for it too. As long as she was okay. "So what're you gonna do when they do come back? Obviously Julian doesn't have the movie as an excuse anymore and soon Jake won't have his music as an excuse either. So what's gonna happen then?"

"I don't know what will happen," Peyton admitted. "But I know what I have to do now."

"Really?" Peyton nodded and Brooke looked at her curiously. "You want to tell me what it is?"

But Peyton shook her head. "Later, when we've got more time to talk. I've got to get going actually."

"Where to? Didn't you say you were going to take a few days off after Jake left?"

"This isn't work related," Peyton said, standing up.

"Oh, so in other words it's Jake or Julian related?"

Peyton grinned. "Something like that." Picking up her car keys from the counter, Peyton headed to the door. "I'll see you later, Brooke."

Frowning, Brooke watched her leave. She felt strangely as if she'd gotten more questions than answers from her best friend. She didn't have a lot of time to dwell on this, though, since the doorbell was ringing a few minutes later. Before she could even get up to answer it, it swung open and a positively beaming Haley appeared.

"Good," Haley said, practically running over to Brooke. "You're here!"

"Yes, I am," Brooke said, chuckling. "What's up?"

"I have some huge news, Brooke," Haley said, "and you, my friend, just so happen to get to be the first to know. Well, besides me of course."

"Oh," Brooke said, more than curious, "um, alright. So what's going on?"

But the minute the words left her mouth, she'd figured it out, and Haley could only manage a feeble "I..." before Brooke said it for her.

"Oh my God, you're pregnant!"

"What?" Haley paused, looking a bit surprise. "How did you know?"

"I'm Brooke Davis, I know everything. That and I kind of figured since you said it was huge news and I was the first to know, like I was with Jamie. It was easy to put together." Then she clapped her hands together excitedly, thrilled for Haley and Nathan. "Oh, I'm so happy for you, Hales! I can't believe there's going to be another Scott baby here soon. If it's anything like Jamie, then I'm already in love."

Haley finally relaxed as she took a seat next to Brooke.

"I'm so excited, Brooke. Nathan and I have been trying for a few months now, but I didn't expect for it to happen so soon."

"So when are you telling Nathan?" Brooke asked.

"I'm telling him tonight, though. I've got Jamie staying with Deb for the night so we can celebrate."

"Sounds fun," Brooke said, grinning.

And then she found herself overwhelmingly touched that she was once again the first to know about Haley's pregnancy, that she'd taken the time to come Brooke and share the news with her even before her husband. It proved that years after the first time this happened, her and Haley's friendship was stronger than ever.

"I can't believe I'm the first to know," Brooke murmured.

"I figured since you were the first last time, we might as well make this a tradition. Just as long as I get to be the first to know when I've got a niece or nephew on the way."

"Trust me, you will be."

"I can't imagine it'll be too long then," Haley said, nudging her. "Hurry up so our kids can go to school together."

"I don't think it will be _that_ soon," Brooke said, although the idea of having her own baby was enough to bring a giddy grin to her lips.

"Yeah," Haley conceded, "probably not. I mean, you and Lucas aren't even engaged let alone married."

"Not to mention we've only been back together for all of two weeks," Brooke added with a chuckle. "Not that I'm not all for having Lucas' baby or anything, I just think we should wait a little longer than a few weeks to try for a kid."

"True," Haley said. "Oh well, I guess we can just try to correspond with the next ones."

"Yeah, that might be more realistic."

And then Brooke thought of Lucas and the family they both wanted, and it was hard for her not to give into the idea of following Haley's footsteps and getting a start on those two boys and a girl, but deep down, she knew it wasn't time yet. There was no need to rush anyway. She and Lucas finally had been granted the chance to be together again and neither were going to waste it. So someday they'd get that family, but for now she was fine with just the two of them.

**888**

By the time Peyton made it to the hotel, the confidence she'd been feeling earlier was dying down. Instead she felt rather worried that this wouldn't go as well as she planned, that he wouldn't understand. In the end, though, she had to do it, no matter what happened as a consequence. So she took the few brave steps up to his hotel room and knocked.

The door swung open, revealing his surprised face. "Peyton."

She smiled nervously. "Hey, Julian."

"What are you doing here?"

"I just...I need to get something out, and I can't let you leave before I do."

He leaned against the door frame, crossing his arms curiously, and waited. Peyton took a deep breath and went on.

"You told me yesterday that you needed a reason to come back here again, but here's the thing— I can't be that reason, or not the reason you want at least. Maybe someday I can, but not now. So I'm not here to beg you to stay or to confess some undying love for you. My hearts too conflicted, and it wouldn't be fair to anyone for me to make a choice just because I feel like you're slipping away."

"I told you yesterday that I didn't want you to rush into anything just because I was leaving," Julian interrupted.

"I know, which is why I also know you'll understand why I think that it would be best for us to just be friends right now."

"I do understand," he said softly.

A jolt of relief hit her, but she still had one last thing to get out, and this was something she didn't know he'd feel the same way about.

"I need you to know, though, that I can't make you any promises, either. I wish more than anything that I could, but the thing is if I start making promises then someone's going to end up disappointed and hurt, and I just can't have that."

Now he was quiet, his face unreadable. She truly wished that even though she couldn't promise him today, she could give Julian the promise of someday, but this was something she'd come to terms with the previous day— she couldn't promise either Julian or Jake that and it was pointless to try it.

After a few painful seconds, he slowly nodded. "I understand, Peyton. I don't want you to make any promises either."

And now she could finally relax. A small smile flitted to her lips as she took a step closer to him.

"But we can be friends?" she asked hopefully.

Now he was grinning that familiar grin she loved so much. "Of course."

"Good. So you probably shouldn't be surprised if I randomly pop up in LA some weekend and expect a place to crash."

"I won't. I'm expecting plenty of visits."

"And so am I."

As he softly laughed, her eyes caught his and there was a mutual understanding, and it was perhaps the greatest relief of all to know that he truly did understand that she didn't have a choice at this point; she could make no promises to him or to Jake. Perhaps there would be a someday for the two of them, but there was no way any of them could no for sure, and so it was too risky to promise him otherwise. Now, though, all any of them could do was live their lives and wait for fate to work it's magic.

**888**

Now Peyton was on to her next destination. She found Jake standing in the driveway of his parent's front yard, loading the car with his and Jenny's luggage. Once again, they were off to Savannah. Their home. Peyton wished more than anything that someday they'd call this place their home again, and she was sure they would if only she could give them that reason to. But she couldn't and she was sure Jake knew that.

Jake spotted her right as she parked along the sidewalk, and a crooked smile came to his lips.

"Hey," she said, smiling softly as she stepped out of her car. They met halfway in the middle of the lawn.

"This is a surprise," he said. "I thought we'd said our goodbyes yesterday."

"Can't we say goodbye again?" she asked playfully.

"Sure you can," he said, chuckling, "but I know you never liked goodbyes."

"Yeah, well this isn't really a goodbye, Jake. This is a 'see you later' kind of thing, so it's easier."

"True," he said with a grin.

At this moment, Jenny appeared on the front doorstep. The second she spotted Peyton, she darted towards them.

"Peyton!" she cried, and Peyton pulled her up into her arms. "Why are you here? Are you taking us to the airport?! Well, since you're here, you should come with us!"

Peyton smiled at the girl's energy. Sometimes she reminded her of Brooke. "To Savannah?" Peyton asked. Jenny nodded eagerly and from the corner of her eye, she saw Jake laughing. "That sounds like a ton of fun, but I don't think that'll work today. I promise I'll visit you soon, though."

"Soon? When is soon?"

Jake tussled Jenny's long blond hair. "Soon is whenever she's available to come. Don't pressure her, kid."

"No, it's okay," Peyton said, sending him a reassuring smile. She was glad that Jenny loved her so much because Peyton loved her more than she probably should. "Jenny, soon is very soon, as in maybe in a couple of weeks. I'd love to come hang out with you in Savannah."

"Good," Jenny said, clearly satisfied, "because I want you to see all my drawings."

"I can't wait to see them," Peyton said as she set Jenny back down on the ground.

"Jenny," Jake said, "why don't you go get your grandma and tell her we're ready to go."

Jenny nodded before disappearing back into the house once again.

"A couple of weeks, huh?" he asked. "That is soon."

"I miss you," she said with a shrug.

"But we're not even gone yet."

"Doesn't change the fact that you will be in a few minutes."

Jake's smile softened. "See, wasn't I just telling you how much you hated goodbyes, temporary or not?"

"Yeah, but it's okay," Peyton said. "Coming here again was worth it."

And, like there had been with Julian, there was the sense of understanding between them. She didn't even need to tell him that she could make no promises, that she could not give him a reason other than music to return to Tree Hill right now. He already knew. And for now it seemed that was good enough for him.

"I'll see you soon, Jake," she murmured.

He nodded and then they shared a brief hug that carried the promise of many more. And then Jenny was running out with Jake's mom and she watched as they all loaded into the car. And then they were leaving.

But someday — someday soon — they would be back. And that was really all that mattered.

**888**

Chuckling softly, Lucas leaned against the kitchen counter, holding the phone up to his ear.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll make sure I tell her, Mom...I'll talk to you later...I love you too."

He set the phone onto the counter, smiling as he thought of his mother, who was still in New Zealand with Andy. She'd just told him that they were planning on moving home soon, within a few months, actually. It had been a surprise, but a good one. He missed his mother more than he let on. But Haley didn't tease him for being a mama's boy for nothing.

Then he thought of Brooke and the fact that his mom threw it in his face every chance she got at how right she was when it came to them. He didn't mind, though; he was glad she was right. He didn't think anyone approved of him and Brooke together more than Karen, except perhaps Jamie.

Brooke would be very pleased to hear of Karen's plans. After all that Victoria had done, Brooke relied on Karen as a mother, and Karen too relished the opportunity to be the mom Brooke had never really had. Of course, now his mother was constantly asking him when Brooke would officially be apart of the family, to which he'd always replied that he and Brooke were still in the very early stages of their relationship and there was no need to rush into anything, no matter how enticing it seemed. Taking things slowly (even though he wondered what their definition of slow was, because it seem sometimes as if they were practically living together already), was what they were trying to do.

"Boyfriend!"

Lucas smiled at the sound of his pretty girl's voice echoing from his bedroom. There was nothing as sweet as the sound of her coming home to him. He didn't think it could ever get old.

"I'm in the kitchen," he called back.

A second later, she was in his arms, and he was kissing the top of her head.

"How was your day?" she asked after placing a chaste kiss on his lips.

"Really good. I've got some exciting news, actually."

"Really?" She peeked up at him curiously. "So do I."

"You go first. I can see you're already dying to get it out."

She giggled, but nodded. "Haley's pregnant!"

"Seriously? Wow, that's great!"

"Isn't it? I can't wait to have a baby around here...He or she is totally going to be the test subject for my Baby Brooke line, which means that Haley isn't even gonna need to shop for baby clothes because I've already got a million ideas. And she's already promised that I'm the godmother again!"

"And I can only assume I'm the godfather?"

"Of course!" She pulled away from him, and pulled him by hand into the living room, before setting them both down on the couch. "Luke, this is so exciting!"

He smiled at her enthusiasm. There wasn't anyone who loved babies more than Brooke.

"Yeah, it is."

"So what's your news?" she eagerly asked.

"Oh, well I just got off the phone with my mom a few minutes ago, and apparently she and Andy and Lily are going to be moving back to Tree Hill in a few months."

That just set Brooke off. If she had been excited earlier, she was over the moon now. He just watched in amusement as she threw her arms around him, announcing that this was better than she could have imagined.

"Everything's finally falling into place, Luke," she said, a content sigh leaving her lips as she lounged against his chest. He had to agree. After all everyone in Tree Hill had been through, things were finally working out.

And then she was suddenly absent from his arms, and he watched curiously as she darted back into the kitchen, only to appear again a second later.

"What was that about?" he asked, chuckling.

She sent him a keen smile before handing him over a letter. Letter 86. The final one.

"I was going to wait another few days to give it to you, but after today, I don't think there's a more perfect moment than now."

He wasn't going to argue with that. As he took the letter, she sat down next to him again, her head on his shoulder as she read along with him...

_Luke,_

_I'm back. Four years and six months after I moved away, I'm home again. Tree Hill is where I'm supposed to be right now. I can feel it in my gut. I don't know exactly what sparked me to write this letter, especially since it's been over two years since I last did, but I think it might have been seeing you again today for the first time in awhile. You and I have grown close over the last few years and that's something I'll always appreciate, but actually being here again with you in the place where we began, it brings back a lot of memories, good and bad, and it also reminds me why I came home._

_I think that a part of me came home for you, just like a part of Peyton came home for you too. But Peyton also came home to start a new life, a new business that she could call her own. And even though I've already got Clothes Over Bros, and really should have all I want, I want more. I want to start the next stage of my life and I want to start it here. I'm not entirely sure what this stage will bring, but I know that you're apart of it. I need you in my life, as a friend if nothing else._

_But there's something else I want too, and this is something I've told no one else. I want to be a mother. Sounds crazy, right? Can you imagine Brooke Davis, a mom? Not something a lot of people would expect. But you have no idea how much I want this. How much I want to have my own child, someone to call my own, who will love me unconditionally and endlessly, a love I've never experienced before. I want it more than anything. I don't know yet how it will happen. I might adopt, or maybe I'll go down the sperm donor route. I don't know. I've got time to figure it out, but the point is, I know without a doubt it's what I want. It's what feels right._

_Things are going to be changing here soon. I don't know how exactly all of our lives are going to turn out, but I feel as if this is the turning point, that things are finally starting to fall into place. And I really think this is the last letter, Luke. I've thought that before, but it really feels like it this time. This is the last chapter of this stage of my life and it's time to move on. So goodbye, Luke. Even though this isn't a goodbye at all. It's really just the start of the beginning. I'll love you forever, Luke, and that is one thing that is never going to change, no matter who it is that we end up with in the end. You'll always hold my heart._

_Always,_

_Brooke_

And now Lucas understood why this was the perfect moment to bring out this letter. Even though it had been written over a year ago, he felt that it related to their present, to the new beginnings of him and Brooke, to Nathan and Haley, and to his mom, Andy, and Lily; even to Peyton and to Jake and to Julian, who were still finding their way.

What's more, Lucas finally felt like he properly understood the real Brooke Davis, the one who'd hidden away her own feelings for the sake of other's happiness. The girl who'd spent years protecting herself from the love that she yearned for. The selfless, the beautiful, and the brilliant and brave Brooke Davis who he loved so much. She'd let him all the way in. And it meant more to him than anything else in this world.

"Thanks you, Brooke," he said, his eyes locking onto hers. "These letters...they mean everything to me."

"They mean a lot to me too." She slipped her hand into his, squeezing it tightly. "I was lying to everyone else about how I felt, but these letters hold the truth."

His arms wrapped around her, and he pulled her down to lay on the couch, his body spooning hers. He thought more of her letter, of how she still hadn't gotten her desire of being a mother and of how much he wanted to give that to her. It was one of his own desires to be a father and there was no one else in this world that he'd want to be the mother of his children than Brooke.

"You know, we've got nothing holding us back now," he said. "We can get started anytime you like on those two boys and a girl."

She tipped her head up to look at him, and he saw how his words brought her more joy than she could express with words.

"You have no idea how much I want that," she said. Twisting around in his arms so that she was facing him, she rested a hand against his chest. "And I can't wait to start a family with you. But in a lot of ways, I feel like I wanted a baby because I was lacking that unconditional love in my life at the time, and now I've got it. So I want to be a mom, Luke, but not just yet. Let's enjoy us for a little bit, okay?"

He smiled softly, taking her hand in his own before gently brushing his lips against hers. "I say that sounds perfect."

"Someday, though," she murmured, closing her eyes as she rested her forehead against his chest. "Someday soon."

* * *

**A/N: **So this chapter is pretty short compared the last few chapters, but I felt like it was best to end it there. It's the last chapter next to the epilogue, which means the next chapter will jump ahead a year or two (probably more like a year and half). There's obviously a lot of loose ends to tie up, so it should be pretty interesting. I'm still deciding who I want Peyton with (your reviews were pretty much split down the middle! :D), but I'll obviously have made up my mind by the next chapter. I just didn't think it made sense for Peyton to pick anyone at the point we're at now. She's obviously way too confused, and it wouldn't have been very realistic for me to have her with anyone at this point. But since the epilogue's a few years down the road, her relationships with both guys will have progressed enough to have her feel right about who she's meant to be with.

So anyway, sorry for the bit of the wait. I meant to get this up sooner, but my obsession with Harry Potter has recently made a comeback and in between rereading the last few books, seeing the movie (best yet!), and reading some HP fanfics, I haven't been in the OTH mood. But after writing this, I definitely am again, and I'm also very excited to write the epilogue, which, compared to my other stories, should be much longer and much more interesting...so that's something to look forward to!

Thanks so much for reading and please remember to review!


	24. Closure

**Epilogue: Closure**

Standing on the edge of the walkway, her eyes stared firmly at the large white building in front of her. Brooke couldn't even remember the last time she'd been here. It was sometime before she moved back to Tree Hill, which was over three years before, almost four now that she thought about it. It had been a long time. And it had been a long time since she'd last seen _her _too. It would be a lie to say that the break hadn't been nice; in fact, it had been just what Brooke needed. But this silence had gone on long enough. It was time to move on, to get the closure she'd never fully gotten. And that was why she was here now, ready to do just that.

Finally, her legs started moving again and she found herself drifting towards the front door. She didn't even pause to think before pressing her finger to the doorbell. It wasn't much longer before the door opened and Victoria Davis stood in front of her, eyes wide with the surprise of seeing her daughter's face to face for the first time in a year and a half.

"Brooke," Victoria murmured.

"Hi, Victoria," she said, an awkward smile forming on her lips.

For a few moments, neither said anything. Victoria, it seemed, was slowly getting over the shock of seeing her daughter again, while Brooke wasn't quite sure where to begin.

"Would you..." Victoria trailed off, clearing her throat. "Would you like to come in?"

"No," she softly said, "that's okay. I've actually got to a plane to catch, so I can't stay long."

"Oh, yes. That's fine."

Silence again. Brooke shuffled around awkwardly, feeling more uncomfortable than she had in a long time. Her hand moved to rest on her swollen belly. It didn't help that her baby seemed to sitting right on her bladder, giving her the very sudden urge of needing to use the restroom.

"Congratulations, Brooke," Victoria said, nodding down to her stomach. "You've wanted to be a mother for a long time. I'm glad that you're finally getting the chance."

"Thank you," she said, smiling sincerely.

"And thank you for inviting me to your wedding. I was very honored."

"Thank you for coming... I saw you in the back."

"I was going to come see you after the ceremony, but I thought it would be best if I slipped away quietly. I didn't want to ruin your day."

"You wouldn't have," Brooke said quietly. "I was happy to know that you came."

Victoria nodded, leaving them to silence again. Brooke thought of the wedding that had taken place over three months ago. She had debated over and over again whether she and Lucas should invite her mother, but in the end had decided that it was only right for her mother to at least get an invitation to her daughter's wedding, even if she didn't come. And Brooke hadn't thought she would. But she had. And that was probably one of the things that had spurred Brooke to take this last minute detour on her way to the airport.

"Victoria," Brooke began, finally finding the words she needed, "I just wanted you to know that I've forgiven you. Actually, I forgave you awhile ago, it's just taken me awhile to actually find to courage to tell you. So it doesn't matter anymore. What's done is done and I believe that you are truly sorry, that you regret it with all your heart. I really do believe that. And I forgive you."

There was rarely a time in Brooke's life that she'd seen her mother let out any emotion other than anger or arrogance, but this was one of those few moments that Victoria allowed Brooke to see her softer side, her vulnerable side.

"Thank you, Brooke," she murmured. "That...that means everything to me."

Nodding slowly, Brooke felt as if she'd done what she came here to do. There was nothing left to do but move forward.

"Well, I've got to get going," Brooke said.

"Yes, of course." For a moment, it almost looked like Victoria was going to hug her, but then she backed slowly away, putting the distance between them once again. "Good luck, Brooke. With everything."

Brooke nodded again, but her mother's words meant more than she'd ever let her know. Then she sent Victoria another soft smile before turning around and heading down the walk. It felt like a large weight had been lifted from her shoulders, like she was leaving behind that night once and for all. She couldn't imagine her and Victoria ever having much of a relationship, even after this, but at least they could both live with the fact that there were no hard feelings, that all was forgiven. They finally had their closure.

And it felt good.

**888**

"Okay," Peyton said, standing up and waving Haley over. "I think we're done for tonight."

Looking pleased, Haley stood up from the piano and joined Peyton in her office. Things were going quite well for Peyton Sawyer. Red Bedroom records was thriving, thanks to the combination of Mia and Jake, and now she was working with Haley on finishing her first full album, which had been put on hiatus due to Haley's pregnancy last year. They were still in the beginning stages, with Haley mostly working on writing the songs, but it was an exciting time for both of them.

As the two of them lounged on the couch, Haley pointed over to her desk.

"Your phone's beeping."

She lazily stood back up and reached for the phone, which was surely emanating a red light that signaled she had been left a message. Leaning against the desk, she lifted the phone to her ear, already sure of whose voice she'd be hearing in a few short seconds. Sure enough, his sweet voice flitted into her ear, sending the usual jolt of excitement that she got whenever she heard him speak.

"Hey, it's me...Look, Peyt, I'm really sorry, but I'm not gonna be able to make it into town this weekend. Things are kind of crazy here and long story short, it's just impossible to get away. But I promise I'll be there next weekend. I love you."

Disappointment flooded through her as his voice faded away. She hadn't seen him in two weeks and that was two weeks too long. And now it would be another week before she saw him again. She was a little angry too, because he'd promised over and over again that he'd be able to come this weekend.

"He can't make it?" Haley asked, a knowing look in her eye.

"Yeah," she answered with a sigh. "He says it's impossible to get away."

Haley gave her a sympathetic smile. "I'm sorry, Peyton. At least this distance thing won't be going on much longer, though."

Peyton agreed with her there. He'd be moving to Tree Hill soon, as soon as he could sort out everything back home. He couldn't get here fast enough. And then she felt horrible about being annoyed with him, because he was giving up so much to come here and live with her. His job, his friends, his beautiful home that he'd worked to hard to buy. But it was worth it, he kept assuring her. His life, after all, was in Tree Hill now, since that was where she was.

"Well, I'm gonna get going," Haley said, standing up, "or else the kids will starve. How Nathan functions without me, I really don't know."

Peyton laughed. "I don't know either. I'll see you tomorrow, Hales."

A second later, Haley was gone, and Peyton was left alone in her dark lit office. She'd gone through this whole day with the hope of seeing him tonight, of spending Friday night with just the two of them, alone with no interruptions. And then tomorrow they were supposed to join Brooke and Lucas and the others at Nathan and Haley's for dinner. But it looked like she'd be flying solo again this weekend.

It was okay, though. She'd make the best of it. When she got home, she'd call him and they'd talk for hours and that would be good enough.

So she packed up her things and headed home to her empty apartment. It was a little weird to be living alone again. She'd spent over two years living with Brooke, so to not have her best friend there to greet her after a long day at work was still taking some getting used to. But her newly married friend was now living with Lucas, and that was the way it was supposed to be. Peyton was more than happy for them, but on days like today, when she was missing her own boyfriend, she could have really used Brooke's comfort.

As Peyton drove home, she thought of _him _and how much she missed the feel of his arms around her, and his lips against hers. Long distance relationships were hard. There was simply no denying that. But in many ways, they had it easy. He came to see her every other weekend and she went to see him the weekends in between. It worked well for the most part. And soon he'd be moving in with her and they'd really be able to move forward in their relationship. It was good. And she was happy. More happy than she'd ever been. She had no doubts that he was the guy she was meant to be with, that there was no one else for her. Being with him felt completely right, and no one else had ever given her that feeling.

It was dark by the time she arrived home. As she treaded up the stairs, she realized just how tired she was. She'd gotten up early that morning to meet Mia for coffee, and then she'd spent much of her day working with a new band she'd signed on to her label, and after that, she'd spent her evening working with Haley. It had been a long day and she was ready to sink into her bed, call her boy, and relax.

Digging her keys out of her purse, she unlocked her door and stepped into the pitch black apartment. She blindly sought the light switch, finding it a second later. The room lit up and she shut the door, sighing as she lazily threw her stuff down onto the ground.

And then she froze.

Because there he was, standing in the middle of her very small living room, a crooked smile on his lips as he met her gaze. And then she was running right at him, and he laughed as she threw his arms around him and held her close.

"Hey, you," he said, chuckling as he placed a soft kiss on her lips.

"What are you doing here?" she asked as she pulled away. "I thought you said you couldn't make it?"

"You didn't seriously think I was gonna miss seeing you this weekend, did you?"

"You can be pretty convincing," she said, swatting his arm. "Do you know how disappointed I was when I got your message?"

"Sorry," he said, his tone soft as his hand cupped the side of her cheek, "but I had to do it this way. I wanted to surprise you."

"Obviously. Well, you did a good job if makes you feel better."

He grinned. "It does."

Unable to help herself, she pulled him in for another kiss. She'd missed him so much. Life without him was wrong. Leaning her forehead against his, she let out a content sigh.

"I love you, Jake."

His hand ran up and down her back, and he smiled, kissing the tip of her nose.

"I love you too," Jake murmured.

Jake Jagielski. The boy she'd always love. He was the one for her. There was no doubt, nothing to give her any reason to think otherwise. He was just perfect for her. It made her wonder how she could have ever considered any other man.

She thought of Lucas, and, more specifically, Julian. She did not regret the relationship she had with Julian, nor did she regret his decision to come to Tree Hill to attempt to make a movie out of Lucas' book. Because if he hadn't, she wouldn't have ever really gotten to know the real Julian Baker, the one who she loved as one of her best friends. The one who loved her as one of his own best friends as well. And that was what they were: friends. And it was all they were destined to be. They had both come to terms with this over the time that had gone by. Neither could deny that there was an attraction between them, but the fact of the matter was that Jake held a very large piece of Peyton's heart, and he always would. With Jake in the picture, there was simply no way she could fully give herself to Julian. They both knew that now, and it was better off this way.

And now she was finding herself lost in Jake's eyes. They had finally gotten their someday. After all these years, their love had triumphed over all others, and they were getting the chance to be happy with the people they were really meant to be with. They'd gotten back together over eight months ago. After months and months of circling around each other, just like Lucas had said it would, her heart simply knew that it was Jake she wanted.

"Did you leave Jenny at your parents'?" she asked.

"Nathan and Haley's actually. She's been missing Jamie, so I thought they could have a little sleepover."

Peyton chuckled softly, thinking of the little girl she thought of as her daughter. She loved Jenny like she'd loved no one before, and she hoped to someday officially call Jenny her own.

"I'm sorry about teasing you earlier," Jake softly said. She was still encompassed in his arms, their bodies molding together perfectly, like they were made for each other. "I just wanted tonight to be perfect."

She looked up at him. "Why?"

He took a step back, releasing her from his hold, and he was smiling nervously, his eyes lit up with the same passion she held for him.

"Because of this."

And then he was falling to the ground, landing on one knee, a small, black box materializing in one hand. And she finally realized his meaning, and what he was about to do.

"We've gone through so much to get to this point, and I can honestly say that you're the only one for me. I can't imagine anyone else being my wife or Jenny's mother. So, Peyton Sawyer, will you marry me?"

Her breath caught in her throat. Peyton was a crier. She'd _always _been a crier. And this was no exception. Except the tears that slipped down her cheeks were happy ones, to match the fact that this was probably the happiest moment in her life thus far.

She remembered when Lucas had asked her this same question, and how wrong it had felt. And then she thought of when she'd asked Jake this question years ago, and how right it had felt. It only felt right with him because he was the one she was meant to marry. He was her soul mate.

So there were no doubts in her mind as she very quickly and eagerly nodded, her lips twitching into an irreplaceable smile.

"Jake, yes, of course I'll marry you!"

The smile on his face was perhaps the biggest she'd ever seen on him, and she was sure hers matched his. She threw herself into his arms again and laughed as he swung her in the air. And then he was sliding the ring onto her finger, and she was still crying, but it was okay, because she had a very good excuse. He gently wiped the tears from her face with a brush of his hand, before cupping her face in his hands, and kissing her.

This was it. She'd found her way, and so had Jake, and there was no turning back. And she didn't want to turn back either. Because Jake Jagielski was the man for her. They were simply meant to be.

**888**

It was getting rather late, but Lucas didn't care. Brooke would be home any minute. After over a week in New York City for work, she was coming home. She didn't often take trips to New York anymore, so naturally he had felt the strain of her absence very strongly and he'd missed his wife like crazy.

His wife. He didn't think he could ever get enough of calling her that. Brooke Scott, his wife, his pretty girl, the mother of his baby girl, who'd be arriving in four short months. He really was the luckiest guy alive. He had everything he ever wanted, most of which, if he was being honest, he didn't really deserve.

He glanced down at the screen saver on his laptop. He'd picked up his computer earlier to write, but mostly he'd just stared at the picture of him and Brooke on their wedding day. The best day of his life, so far at least. He had a feeling the birth of his daughter would take the top spot, but he couldn't know until it happened.

In many ways, he and Brooke had moved quite fast in their relationship. They'd gotten back together around a year and a half ago, were engaged after around seven months of dating, discovered Brooke was pregnant a few months after that, only to marry a couple weeks later. All in all, he felt like they'd crammed quite a bit into the past year and a half, but he didn't mind that they'd moved faster than planned. He was quite happy with the way things were going, actually. He'd wanted for so long to be a husband and a father and he was finally getting that chance.

There was a slamming of a door and he automatically jumped in surprise. His lips twitched into a smile as he twisted his head around to find her standing at the front door. She dumped her suitcase down with a sigh, looking a bit wary, and he pounced up to greet her.

"Hey, Pretty Girl," he said, and he was happy to see her smile as he walked over to her.

"Boy, am I glad to see you, Luke," she said, falling right into his arms, where she belonged.

He ran his hands up and down her back soothingly. "Long trip?"

She nodded, digging her head into his chest. "Exhausting."

"I missed you," he said, smiling down at her.

"I missed you too."

He pulled away in order to bend down and brush his lips against her growing belly. "And I missed you too, baby girl."

He heard Brooke chuckle as she playfully ruffled his hair. "Why don't you come up here and give _me_ a kiss?"

He didn't protest. Cupping her face with his hands, he pulled her towards him and met her lips for the first time in a week. The feel of her lips on his was a taste he'd never appreciate enough, one he would never take granted.

"So I have something to tell you," Brooke said as she pulled away just slightly. She led him over to the couch and they sat down. He waited curiously for her to continue. "I went to see my mother."

He wasn't expecting that. "Really?"

"Yeah. I just thought it was time...I told her that she was forgiven, that it's all in the past."

"That's really great, Brooke," he said.

She nodded. "I just couldn't go on without getting this closure, you know? And now I really feel like I've moved on from that night, and I think it's a big relief for Victoria too. In some strange way, that night changed her too, and for the better I think."

"I think it did too," he agreed. He sent her an encouraging smile as he wrapped an arm around her. Her head rested on his shoulder, and he gently kissed her forehead. "I'm proud of you, Pretty Girl."

"Thanks."

"So, was work really that exhausting?"

"It wasn't horrible," she admitted, "but I'm not really used to the whole office atmosphere anymore, so it was kind of stressful." Just as he opened his mouth to say something, she sent him a look. "I know, I know, stress isn't good for the baby. You don't need to remind me."

He laughed. "That wasn't what I was going to say."

"Don't even try to lie, Lucas. I swear to God, both you and Karen have been the stress police these past few months. Anytime the word comes up, you've got this whole lecture up your sleeve. It gets annoying after awhile."

"Well, fine, then," he said, pretending to be offended, even though he really found her annoyance amusing, "I'll stop with the stress lectures... But excuse me for wanting to make sure you and my child are safe."

She rolled her eyes. "Guilt trip isn't going to work, Luke."

"Fine, but can I say one last thing?"

"No."

"Please?"

"Ugh. Fine."

"I don't think you should take anymore trips to New York until after the baby comes. Not just because of the s-t-r-e-s-s it brings, but because I want you all to myself for as long as I can."

"You want me all to yourself, huh?" she said, chuckling. "Well, that shouldn't be a problem. I'm not planning anymore trips, not that I've been taking a lot anyway. I kind of want to take advantage of the two of us before we become three."

He grinned suggestively, kissing her again. "How about we start now?"

"I say that sounds like a very good idea," she said, giggling.

Just as they were indeed about to get started, though, Brooke's phone let out an obnoxious beep. Lucas groaned in response.

"It's just a text from Peyton," Brooke said, shoving Lucas' hand off of her breast. "Hold on, this will just take a second."

He read over her shoulder the message Peyton had sent:

_Welcome home, B. Scott! I know you're busy catching up with that husband of yours, but call me in the morning because we've got a lot of catching up of our own to do. Love you, B. ps - I'm kind of engaged :D_

Great. Now Brooke would be completely distracted by the fact that her best friend was getting married, and their _alone _time would be put on temporary hold again.

Sure enough, Brooke let out an excited cry, clapping her hand together happily.

"Peyton's engaged, Luke!" she announced.

"That's great," he said, shaking his head at Brooke's over the top enthusiasm. Then again, this was a big moment and, as he got over the frustration of the bad timing of the interruption, he realized just how happy he was for Peyton and Jake. They both deserved this. And it was most definitely about time too.

"So," he said with a smirk, "where were we?"

He was quickly back in his previous state of mind as his lips fell to her neck. But she pulled away, and his fears were confirmed as she stood up and debated whether or not to call Peyton now or later. Confined to the truth that there was little he could do to distract Brooke in this moment, he settled back into the couch and watched Brooke disappear upstairs to do only God knows what. He chuckled to himself. He loved that woman more than anything in the world, quirks and all.

"Husband!" she called down to him.

"What?"

Then her head poked out at the top of the stairs. "Aren't you coming?"

"I thought you were calling Peyton?" he said in confusion.

She sent him her devilish grin and, in her low, husky voice, said, "Peyton can wait."

And then he was flying up the stairs, leaving all thoughts of anything other than Brooke in his wake.

**888**

This, Brooke decided, had to be what heaven was like. Surrounded by her family and closest friends, she couldn't imagine anything better than this. She was currently sitting in one of the lawn chairs in the backyard of Nathan and Haley's house, observing all the wonderful people in her life.

Across the pool were Haley and Nathan. Nathan, manning the grill, kissed the top of Haley's head before playfully tickling the adorable and newest Scott, Hannah, who was cradled in her mother's arms. Jamie played in the pool with Lily and Jenny (his "girlfriend" as both Brooke and Peyton liked to tease him). The Naley clan, as Brooke so fondly called them, was stronger than ever. The one couple that gave Brooke hope had not failed her yet, and she doubted they ever would.

Talking to Haley was the woman that Brooke considered to be her true mother, Karen. She, Andy, and Lily had moved back to Tree Hill over a year ago, much to everyone's delight. Brooke loved having her mother-in-law around. Their relationship had only grown closer over the past year, and she was closer to Karen than she'd ever been, which said quite a lot.

Rachel was lounging next to her on one of the lawn chairs in a red bikini, eyes closed as she tried desperately to get a tan, since summer had finally arrived and, as Rachel constantly complained, she was as pale as a ghost.

"You're blocking the sun, slut," Rachel mumbled, cracking open an eye to glare at her.

Brooke rolled her eyes, but shifted over slightly so Rachel wouldn't complain any more.

"You're boyfriend totally can't get enough of you over there," Brooke mentioned.

Rachel just laughed. "Of course he can't. With this body, _your _boy probably can't get enough of me either."

"Shut up," Brooke said, playfully slapping Rachel's flat (and already very tan, no matter what the redhead claimed) stomach.

Rachel cracked open the other eye to catch Julian's gaze, and Brooke found that eye sex was the only way to describe the way the two were looking at each other. A second later, Julian had crossed the yard. He sat next to Rachel, smirking as he placed a kiss on her neck and whispered something into her ear. Rachel rolled her eyes, and Brooke guessed that whatever he'd said had been deemed cheesy by Rachel.

Rachel and Julian. Now that had been a shock to Brooke, although when she really stopped to think about it, it shouldn't have been. The two were so perfect for each other it wasn't even funny. They had only been officially dating for a few months now, but Brooke knew for a fact that there were many hook ups prior to an actual committed relationship. Their relationship was full of drama, as you'd expect from Rachel. They were one of those on again/off again couples, but they were both head over heels for each other, even if they didn't like to admit it.

Really, though, Brooke was quite sure that Rachel had been Julian's saving grace. He'd had it bad for Peyton when he'd first came to Tree Hill. That was obvious to pretty much everyone. Julian had visited Tree Hill often after the movie fell through, and at first it was to see Peyton, but then he'd struck up a friendship with Rachel that quickly turned into something more. Soon enough, Peyton had come to terms that she and Julian weren't meant to be, that it was Jake she wanted, but Brooke was sure that Julian's relationship with Rachel had greatly cushioned this blow. Now it seemed that he'd completely moved on from Peyton and was very happy with with the fiery redhead.

Brooke was happy for them too. Julian made Rachel a better person, whether she liked to admit it or not. What's more, Peyton was very happy for the two of them too. Peyton and Rachel had a playfully mean relationship at best, but Peyton wanted both Julian and Rachel to both be happy and, as she'd told Brooke, she doubted there was a better match for Rachel than Julian.

And speaking of Peyton, her newly engaged best friend had finally arrived, no doubt late from _celebrating _the big development in her and Jake's relationship. Brooke waved her over excitedly, leaping up from her chair and throwing her arms around her best friend as she arrived.

"I'm so happy for you P. Sawyer," she mumbled.

She was pretty sure she was about to cry. Damn hormones. But she pulled it together as she finally let Peyton go.

"Thanks, Brooke," Peyton said, beaming.

"Congratulations, Peyt," Julian said, smiling over at her. Brooke watched as he shared a hug with Peyton, and was glad that the two of them could remain such good friends. Peyton was very good at being friends with her exes, it seemed, which Brooke could only imagine took a lot of work.

"So does this mean that Jake's officially off limits?" Rachel questioned.

Both Julian and Peyton threw her a glare.

Soon, Haley and Karen joined them, all gathering around Peyton's outstretched hand to admire the ring. Brooke, however, was distracted as she spotted Lucas from across the pool. He was talking to Nathan, Jake, and Andy, and he was holding little Hannah in his arms. Brooke watched him blow a kiss into the baby's chubby cheek and the little girl giggled cheerfully.

He was going to be such a great father. She couldn't wait until their own daughter was here. Brooke's hand grazed her stomach. Just a few more months, and they both will have finally reached their dream of becoming a parent.

Lucas caught her eye a second later, sending her a sweet smile. It was times like these that reminded her just how much she loved him. Sometimes she found it hard to believe that they'd actually made it. That, after all those years apart, they were actually married and starting a family of their own. It was a dream come true, and she wouldn't trade it for anything.

He made his way over to her, handing Hannah to Haley as he reached them. Then he was standing in front of her, his eyes focused on her alone. He brought a hand up to her cheek, brushing a strand of hair from her face.

"I love you, Pretty Girl," he said so softly that only she could hear.

She smiled, falling into his waiting arms. "I love you too."

He twisted her around in his arms so that he was standing right behind her, his arms wrapped around her middle, his hands resting on her stomach, and she smiled contentedly as he kissed her cheek.

Yes, this was the way things were supposed to be. It was as simple as that.

* * *

**A/N: **And that's it. This story is officially over. I hope it didn't disappoint. I know a lot of you wanted a Brucas baby, but there's one on the way, so I figure that counts :D. I just thought this would be a good point in their lives for the epilogue. It still leaves a lot open, I think, so who knows, maybe there will be a sequel? We'll see...

As for my decision to have Peyton end up with Jake, I really felt like this was the best way to go. I can't even begin to tell you how many times I changed my mind on this, but the fact of the matter is that I always came back to Jeyton. It just seemed like the right choice for this story. That being said, it could have easily been Pulian too. I'm not like a _certain _man who gets you to believe that your couple actually has a chance when in reality he was really just stringing you along the whole time in order to get you to watch. But that's another matter :D. Anyway, I hope most of you are happy with this decision!

So I'm gonna let you all know that as of now, I don't have any new stories in the works. I'm actually going to be taking a little hiatus from writing for the next few months in order to concentrate on real life and school. You can expect some oneshots, though. The Awakening oneshot is still a work-in-progress, but it shouldn't be much longer. I'm probably more than halfway finished with it and since this is over, I can concentrate fully on it. I've also got another random oneshot that's like half-way written, so maybe I'll post that too.

Finally, thank you so much to everyone who has taken the time to read this story, especially those Brucasers who aren't so fond of Peyton— thanks for sticking with me, even though she was a very large focus of this story! And to anyone who reviewed, you guys are awesome! I can't tell you enough that you're really the main reason I keep writing. So thanks so much guys!


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